


Darkness Rising

by Grubkiller19



Series: Rise of the Empire [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Related, Gen, Mystery, Not Canon Compliant, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 08:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17957102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grubkiller19/pseuds/Grubkiller19
Summary: Darkness looms over the Galaxy, as the Sith play a deadly game of chess, with the galaxy as their board. Everyday the Clone Wars rage on, is another day that the will of the people erodes, and the Sith's power rises. The Jedi-led Clone Army continues to march blindly to their imminent doom, unaware that they are only marching ever closer to their own defeat.





	1. Darkness Rising: part 1- Ominous Warnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks, Grubkiller's here.
> 
> I've just decided to expand my writing operation over to AO3, and in honor of the reboot of the Clone Wars TV series, even if it is for just 12 episodes, I'm putting together a series of new clone wars stories. 
> 
> This story is the first in a series of works that will be entitled 'Rise of the Empire'. It will mostly be a recap of some of the darker moments from the later seasons of the Clone Wars, with some noticeable changes.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. It was created by George Lucas and belongs to Lucasfilm. Which has been sold to Disney (sigh), unfortunately.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Opening Word Crawl (Star Wars theme plays in the background)._

_A Galaxy at war!_

_For centuries, the Jedi Order stood as the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic. They fought their ancient enemy, the Sith Empire to destruction, and what followed was years of freedom, prosperity, and peace._

_But little did they know, one Sith survived. His name was Darth Bane. Working from the shadows, he creates a new Sith order, which works from the shadows, creating chaos across the galaxy, which undermines the Republic's authority. A political/economic/cultural rift begins to open up between the Core and Outer Rim regions of the galaxy. The Sith exploit this rift in the galaxy, and put it on the path towards Civil War._

_As the Clone War rages on, and a shroud of darkness expands over the galaxy, no one suspects that they are all just pawns for the Order of the Sith Lords, who are hellbent on creating a New Order, which will reign over the galaxy for 10,000 years._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**"A Jedi? HAHAHAHA! I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi. A new power is rising. I've foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war, and the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside. In its place is going to rise a New Order, and I will rule as part of it.** "-Fallen Jedi Pong Krell before being executed by Clone Troopers during the Battle of Umbara.

* * *

  _Republic held umbaran airbase, near the capital city, Umbara_.

Umbara.

A jungle world in the Expansion Region that experienced no sunlight on its surface, earning the name "Shadow World."

During the early days of the Clone Wars, the planet Umbara and its native Umbaranpeople were loyal to the Galactic Republic. But after one of their politicians were murdered, the Umbarans subsequently withdrew their support of the Republic and allied themselves with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, bringing their advanced combat technology to the Separatists. Because the Confederacy began tightening their grip over important supply routes, the Republic and the Jedi Order in retaliation launched a campaign to retake the Umbara system, strategic because of its location on the Great Kashyyyk Branch.

For weeks now, the Republic has been trying to wrestle control of the planet away from the Separatist Alliance. Republic naval forces led by Master Luminara Unduili, Barriss Offee, and Ahsoka Tano, were dealing with the Separatist blockade. When the blockade was broken, Clone forces under the command of masters Kenobi and Tiin went straight for the capital city. As this happened, masters Skywalker and Krell covered their flanks.

It's been a brutal fight for Captain Rex and his men.

The Umbarans were one with their environment, which they used to conceal their positions and viciously lash out when their enemies were close enough. It made it difficult for the Republic to advance. But with Anakin Skywalker leading them, they made progress nonetheless.

But then something strange happened. Anakin was recalled back to Coruscant unexpectantly, leaving the 501st Legion to be put under the temporary command of another Jedi, who had a serious reputation.

Jedi Master Pong Krell.

An accomplished General with many battlefield victories under his belt. But there was a catch: those battlefields were painted red with the blood of his men. He has more battlefield casualties than anyone else in the Jedi order.

For weeks, he pushed the troopers that he commanded (and despised) to their limit. While his men fought, and died in many cases, he led from behind. After the Republic captured an Umbaran airbase, General Krell ordered Rex and his men on towards the heavily fortified capital, despite the hellfire of deadly missiles being rained down upon the surface by the Separatist fleet. It was going to be a death trap. But, realizing there was a better plan, several clone troopers disobeyed their orders to carry out a covert operation to destroy the very ship arming the Separatists with those powerful missiles.

When they returned from their successful mission, the three surviving troopers were put in the prison hold and threatened with court-martial. And then, General krell ordered their immediate execution.

* * *

 

Rex and a handful of troopers went down to the prison hold to retrieve Jesse, Hardcase, and Fives. As their lift lowered, they received looks of pure hatred from the Umbarans that were in the other cells. The lift made it down to the lower level. The two troopers saw Rex coming, and looked somewhat hopeful as he approached.

"Boys, I'm sorry. General Krell has ordered your execution immediately." Rex said.

The three troopers were taken aback by this terrifying revelation.

"What? But how? He can't do this!" Jesse exclaimed.

"He has authority to render punishment during combat." Rex explained.

"I can understand a court-martial and locking us up in the brig, but executing us?" Jesse asked, surprised.

"I tried to convince him that it's my fault, but he wouldn't let me." Rex said.

"Rex, you have to face it, he's been using you. He needs your loyalty to control the others." Fives said, alluding to how Krell was a hated general that very few clones trusted.

"I won't let him get away with this." Rex promised, as one of the clones lowered the shields to their prison cell.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. We made our choice. We knew what the price was." Fives said.

"Speak for yourself," Jesse told Fives.

Fives and Hardcase looked at their comrade with amused looks. "Still got your sense of humor, I see." Hardcase quipped.

"Yeah, who said I was joking?" Jesse asked.

That's when the lift lurched beneath them, and they began to ascend. The three troopers looked up.

"Well I guess this is it." Fives said.

* * *

 

Outside, as Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase were escorted to their execution sight, Dogma was marching a firing squad of six troopers, including Tup and Kix.

"Line up the prisoners." Dogma called out.

As they came into view of the firing squad, Rex looked up at the command tower, where he could see General Krell looking down on them. He frowned when they made eye contact from hundreds of feet away.

Jesse spoke up. "Well, I've officially lost my sense of humor."

When they were lined against a wall, Dogma stepped forward. "Will the prisoners request to be blindfolded?" He didn't get a word out of any of the three troopers. "I'll take that as a no." Dogma said before he stepped away.

"I hope you can live with yourself, Dogma." Fives said.

"Ready weapons." Dogma ordered.

The Clones raised their rifles in the 'present arms' position.

Jesse shook his head back and forth. "Never thought we'd go out this way." Hardcase nodded in agreement, his lips compressed into a thin line.

"Aim." Dogma ordered, as Rex shook his head in despair.

The troopers in the firing squad aimed their rifles at the troopers.

"Wait!" Fives shouted, getting the troopers to hold their fire. "This is wrong and we all know it! The general is making a mistake, and he needs to be called on it." Fives said, as the troopers began to look teach other, to gauge their reactions. Fives continued. "No clone should have to go out this way! We're loyal soldiers! We follow orders, but we are not a bunch of unthinking droids! We are men! We must be trusted to make the right decisions! Especially when the orders we are given are wrong!"

Not allowing Fives to say another word, Dogma raised his arms and pointed it forward. "Fire!"

The clones closed their eyes, and they fired.

But then, Dogma shook his head, as he saw that every shot missed, and the three clones were surrounded by blast marks.

"What? What happened?" Dogma asked.

The clones threw their rifles to the ground.

"They're doing the right thing, Dogma." Rex explained. "Because if this is how soldiers are rewarded for heroic actions, then one day, every man in this battalion may face a similar fate." He said, pointing to his men.

Then he gestured to the 'prisoners'.

"Take off their binders." Rex said as he turned to watch several clones freeing their ensnared brothers.

Dogma was surprised, and desperately tried to get his men together. "No! We have orders! We have to go through with this!"

Rex turned his head over his shoulder to look at Dogma.

"Good luck finding anyone to do it."

With their stay of execution, more friction between was formed between Rex and krell.

But with their adversaries wearing clone armor and preparing to launch an offensive against the Republic airbase, Rex and his men were sent out to stop the enemy.

But what happened next was nothing short of a tragedy. A tragedy that forced Rex and his men to make the hardest decision that they would ever make.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

(flashback begins)

The troopers moved out, but soon ran into a brutal firefight and began targeting what they believed to be enemy troopers disguised as troopers from the 212th Attack Battalion. Blue blaster bolts flew back and forth, spearing troopers on both sides. Mortar bombs were launched over the treetops, landing in the middle of clusters of troopers from both sides.

Dozens of combatants on both sides were killed, and dozens more were wounded.

"Captain, where are you?" A 'shinie', named Tup, shouted into his comm, as Rex charged towards the enemy lines, firing his dual blasters as he went. "We're sustaining heavy casualties."

Rex continued firing his blasters at an unseen target, just as another explosion went off in front of him, killing a cluster of his men. But just before he went to join the rest of his men, the body of someone wearing 212th armor caught his eye. He rushed over to investigate.

On closer inspection, it appeared that the corpse's helmet wasn't on all the way, revealing his throat and chin. But the exposed skin was tanned. Umbaran typically had very pale skin from this planet's lack of sunlight. As Rex went to take a closer look, a tight knot formed in his stomach. He pulled the corpse of one of his men off of the body in question. That's when he reached out to pull the trooper's helmet off.

He slowly pulled the helmet off. But to his surprise, instead of an Umbaran in disguise, it was a clone trooper. The face of Jango Fett looked up at the sky with lifeless eyes.

"What?" Rex exclaimed as he stumbled back in shocked horror.

They weren't Umbarans. They were clones. His men were shooting their own brothers.

Rex rushed back to the battlefield and began to run out in the open.

"Everyone, stop firing!" Rex ordered as he waved his hands over his head and charged out in the line of fire. "We're shooting at our own men!"

But his men didn't listen. They were immersed in the battle and they continued to fire at the armored figures firing back at them.

"They're not Umbarans. They're Clones!" The men closest to him heard him and looked at him as they stopped shooting. "Take off your helmets!" Rex shouted to his men as he ran past them. "Show them you're not the enemy!"

Rex continued to rush out in the open as blue plasma continued to fly back and forth around him.

One Clone sniper from the 212th was about to take aim at Rex when his spotter saw him take his helmet off.

"They're clones!" He could hear Rex shout from afar.

The 212th trooper put his hand on the rifle of the trooper next to him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa whoa!" The trooper exclaimed repeatedly.

"Everyone! Stop firing! Cease Fire! They're not Umbarans! They're Clones!" Rex continued shouting as he ran across the field. One by one, troopers stopped firing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

One 212th trooper was standing out in the open, trying to find a target. That's when he saw Rex charging at him.

He lowered his rifle.

"What the-," he tried to say before Rex tackled him to the ground. They rolled on the ground until Rex was on top. He ripped the helmet off of the terrified trooper and yanked him to his feet. Rex turned him around so that everyone could see that they were clones.

"LOOK! WE'RE CLONES! WE'RE ALL CLONES!" Rex shouted as he held the trooper in front of him.

"What?" Dogma asked in surprise as he ripped his helmet off.

The fire began to die down almost immediately after, and troopers from both sides took their helmets off to go out and meet their brothers out in the open. Everyone was shaken. It was so quiet. No one said anything. Not a word.

Rex let go of the trooper he was holding before he dropped to his knees. the trooper crawled away to collect himself. Rex held his head. He could not comprehend what had just happened.

' _What have we done?_ '. He thought to himself.

* * *

 

Later, as clone troopers from both battalions began to shower the field for their dead and wounded, the troopers that were still standing were starting to freak out.

"This can't be happening! What have we done?" Tup asked, as he held his face in his hands. The rookie clone never thought in a million years that he would end up shooting one of his own brothers. Now that that was happening, he couldn't contain himself.

Dogma was standing nearby, next to Rex, who was crouched down, checking the vitals of a trooper that turned out to be dead.

"I don't understand." He said as Rex got up and turned around to face him. "Why did these troopers attack us?!" Dogma asked Rex, gesturing to the corpses of troopers from Obi-Wan's 212th Attack Battalion.

Before Rex could answer, the clone medic, Kix, came running around the side of a tree.

"Captain," Kix said, getting the attention of Rex and the others. "I found their platoon leader. It's Waxer. He's this way!"

Rex and the others followed Kix through the trees until they found three troopers. One was resting against a tree. The other two were checking his vitals, which were quickly fading. As Rex and the others approached, the medic stepped aside to allow Rex to see him. The veteran clone captain crouched down and placed his hand on the young Clone lieutenant's shoulder.

"Waxer," Rex said solemnly,"Tell me... who gave you... the orders to attack us."

The clone officer took his helmet off, which was covered in kill marks and had the face of a little Twi'lek girl painted on it. As he pulled the helmet off, Waxer took in a deep breath.

"It... It was General Krell." Rex became more angered as he heard Krell's name. Waxer continued. "He gave us these co-ordinates to stop the enemy... We thought they were wearing our armor."

The wounded trooper that Waxer was attending to started to speak. His breathing became more labored. "But, it was..." his eyes started to well up before tears started streaming down his cheek, "...you".

And with one final word, his head lowered, and his body went limp as he passed on, leaving Rex and the others to digest the revelation that they just heard.

Later, after gathering the remaining clones from both units, Rex began to walk back and forth in front of the assembled troopers.

He then stopped to face his men.

"We all know who is responsible for what happened out there. What we don't know... is 'why'." Rex said, as his troopers all listened closely without speaking a word. "Something has to be done. What I'm proposing is highly treasonous." Rex looked at his men. "If any man chooses to opt out... do it now."

That's when every clone assembled took one step forward in perfect unison with one another. They all knew what they just volunteered for. But they didn't care what the consequences were. They were far beyond their tolerance level.

Rex continued speaking.

"From this point forward, we are entering uncharted territory. My orders are... we arrest General Krell for treason against the Republic."

When Rex finished speaking, the looks of anger, hatred, and even approval, were spread across the faces of everyone assembled. Their looks were different, but they all said the same thing: It's about time.

(flashback ends).

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Off in the distance, storm clouds were forming. Dark clouds moved close together, lightning flashing through them, making them glow as thunder boomed in the distance. It was as if nature itself wanted to be a symbol today. An ominous symbol for what was about to happen.

Rex and his men, along with Waxer and what remained of Ghost Company, marched on the seemingly deserted airbase. As thunder began to clap in the distance, Rex put his helmet back on, ready for whatever happened next.

In the detention cells beneath the base, Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase were all still in their prison cell. The troopers who were nearly executed for taking personal initiative, sat around and waited for something to happen. That's when providence seemed to show fortune in that moment. The lift slowly descended to their level. The occupants were Rex, Tup, and Kix. The three troopers stepped off of the lift and walked over to the cell. That's when Rex deactivated the shield. The imprisoned troopers stood up. That's when Rex and the others presented them with blaster rifles.

The three 'prisoners' looked at each other and nodded. They reached for the rifles and geared up.

As far as they were concerned, it was payback time.

Up in the command tower, General Pong Krell looked out over the stormy horizon with his hands clasped behind his back. That's when the elevator door opened up to reveal Rex and over a dozen clone troopers from the 501st and 212th.

They entered the room and fanned out along the walls, completely surrounding the Besalisk Jedi.

When Krell was surrounded, Rex stepped into the room, the door closing behind him.

"General Krell, you're being relieved duty," Rex stated assertively.

The smiling Jedi turned around. When he did, a flash of lightning very ominously crackled in the distance.

"It's treason then," Krell said.

Rex unholstered his sidearms and pointed them at Krell. "Surrender General," he ordered.

But Krell stepped forward, undaunted. He was a giant, standing a head taller than anyone around him, with broad shoulders and biceps bigger than the head of an average human.

"You're committing mutiny Captain," Krell said as he stopped when he was in the middle of the room.

"Explain your actions," Rex ordered.

Krell looked around at the troopers pointing their rifle at him.

"My actions?" he asked.

"For ordering your troops against one another!" Rex shouted.

"Oh..." Krell said as he looked at the ceiling and held his chin with one of his four hands. "...that. I'm surprised you were able to figure it out, for a Clone," Krell mocked.

Fives looked over to Jesse. He gave a hand signal. Jesse nodded and slowly moved towards Krell with Fives, Hardcase, and several other troopers.

"Surrender General, you're outnumbered," Rex said just as Krell spread his arms out and channeled the power of the force to make every trooper around him fly in every direction, causing them to slam into the walls around the room.

The troopers all grunted and groaned as they hit the walls.

"You dare to attack a Jedi?" Krell asked as he ignited both of his dual bladed lightsabers.

The clones got up and began to fire on the four armed Jedi. Their plasma bolts flew towards the General from every direction. But krell spun around several times and expertly swung his blades around like they were propellors. He turned around and swung his blades at two clones that got too close to him, slicing them almost in half. The general then thrust his blade forward and impaled to other clones that were in front of him. The clones continued to lay down fire. One trooper charged, unwisely, at the General in an attempt to subdue him. He failed. Krell crisscrossed his blades and sliced them across the trooper's torso. He then kicked the staggering trooper across the room. The trooper's corpse flew towards Rex. Rex dodged the trooper, who flew into the door with a loud clang.

Moments later, the remaining Clones stopped. So did Krell. He stopped swinging his blades so that he could talk to Rex. Burning hatred spewed from his eyes as he stared into Rex's soul.

"I will not be undermined by creatures bred in some laboratory!" Krell declared.

He turned around and charged at the window. He smashed through it and somersaulted in the air repeatedly. When he landed on the base grounds, the impact caused a crater to form around him and glass shards began to hit the ground around him. He then looked up to see that he was surrounded by dozens of clones, including Waxer and Appo's men, who all just stared at him.

"Get him!" Appo ordered.

That's when every trooper on the base grounds opened fire on Krell, pouring everything they had at him. Krell lashed out and slashed several troopers so hard that they were thrown away several feet. The troopers that were surrounding him tried to move in closer. But when they got too close, Krell would sometimes slash several of them at once. He then used his two free hands to pick up some of the corpses and throw them at the other troopers around them, pushing them to the ground.

Rex and his men watched from above. They quickly moved towards the elevator to try and hook up with the rest of the troopers, who were definitely having trouble subduing Krell.

General Krell charged forward and dove over an Umbaran star-fighter. He continued to charge at the wall of Clone Troopers in front of him, who continued to fire on the traitorous Jedi. Krell continued to use his two dual sabers to deflect multiple rounds back at the troopers. Then, when he was close enough, he used his two free hands to force push the remaining troopers to the ground. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Krell ran off of the base grounds and disappeared into the dark, and dense, Umbaran jungle.

Rex and his squad rallied up with every available clone and went to go chase after him.

But as they went to give chase, they were blocked by Dogma, who held his rifle at the clones in front of him.

"Hold it right there!" He ordered.

Rex and his men pointed their weapons at Dogma. The trooper in front of them was a by-the-book trooper who followed his superiors without question. Even if that superior was Krell. The misguided trooper was what stood between them and going after the traitor.

"Lower your weapon, Dogma," Rex said. Not in a demanding way, but rather in a calm way.

"I-," Dogma shook his head. "-I can't do that sir".

Rex tried to be calm, but he wasn't having any of it now".

"That's an order!" He shouted.

"It's my duty," Dogma said, pointing his rifle from trooper to trooper. "You're all traitors."

Rex holstered one of his sidearms and used his free hand to take his helmet off. He wanted to show his face to Dogma, hoping to try and have a man to man conversation and reason with him. But he still had a pistol pointed at Dogma just in case.

"I used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told ya'. That's how they engineered us. But we're not droids," Rex said as Tup walked up to them with his helmet off. "We're not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions."

Dogma then pointed his rifle one handed at Tup.

"Dogma," Tup said, "don't do it". He warned.

The misguided trooper then looked down. He lowered his weapon in shame. Two troopers rushed up to him from behind and tackled him to the ground.

"Take him to the brig," Rex ordered before he turned to the troopers behind him. "Waxer and Appo, stay here incase he comes back, The rest of you, with me. Don't let General Krell escape".

Every trooper that Rex assembled rushed in the direction that Krell was last seen moving towards.

The hunt was on.

* * *

 

The Clones spent hours trekking through the foggy jungle for their four armed quarry.

The glowing plants gave the fog an unsettling red glow. Umbaran native life forms began to chirp and cackle in the distance.

Rex activated his wrist comm and spoke into it. "Anyone got anything?"

"Uh, negative Captain," a trooper answered back. "We lost him-...Wait!" Literally seconds later, the hum of a swinging lightsaber, blaster fire, and screaming clones could be heard from the other end of the call. Rex and the troopers were alarmed as they reacted to the sounds of distress coming from Rex's wrist comm. "He's too-powerful. HURRY-GEEAAAHHHHH!"

Rex shut off his comm and began to rush deeper into the jungle with the rest of his troops in tow. They stopped when the blaster discharges became louder. Fives took cover by a tree trunk and zoomed in with his visor. He could see the clones being chopped apart by Krell. When he cut down the last clone, he looked off in the distance, facing the spot that Rex and the others held. But before the clones could do anything about it, Krell jumped up into the tree tops and disappeared out of view.

Fives looked at Rex. "He's coming". The troopers fanned out and took up defensive positions.

They waited.

But nothing happened. It was all quiet. Too quiet. Way too quiet.

Then, suddenly, the strangest thing happened.

"You should have listened to the arc-trooper from the beginning Captain," Krell said.

His voice was echoing across the jungle, as if he was using the trees to reverberate his voice in every direction. The clones became jumpy and began to look in every direction as Krell began to laugh in a maniacally unsettling way. They looked up and around, trying to locate the source of that voice.

"HA HA HA HA! He was right! He was right," his voice echoed. "MRA HA HA HA HA HA HA. I was using you."

Some of the clones gathered up and stood back to back, covering each other and looking in every direction.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Krell laughed as he dove out of the trees and pointed his blade down. He landed in the middle of a cluster of clones and killed all five of them as he landed.

"You've all been my pawns,' Krell mocked as he activated all of his blades.

"Get him!" Rex ordered.

"AHAHAHAHAH!" Krell laughed as the clones began to attack him.

The clones surrounded him and tried to subdue him. But he was too powerful. He blocked and deflected every shot that came his way. He then began to jump from clone to clone, cutting them down with his blades. He stabbed one of his blades through a tree and impaled a clone that was taking cover behind it. He continued to spin his blades like helicopter props and cut down any trooper that got too close. Krell then thrust both of his blades behind him, impaling two troopers that were trying to attack him from behind.

When Krell decided that he wanted to get his hands dirty, he deactivated and holstered his blades. He cracked his knuckles and charged at the clones. The Besalisk Jedi rushed, dodged, and somersaulted his way through the clone platoon's line of fire until he got up close and personal. He punched one clone so hard in the face that his neck snapped back. Krell then bashed another trooper into a tree, knocking I'm unconscious. He then got behind one clone and lifted his back. That's when he swiftly broke the terrified and struggling clone's back over his knee, breaking his spinal cord.

That's when Tup charged at him. Krell simply grabbed the trooper by the shoulder and threw him about 15 yards away from the carnage.

Tup hit the ground and slid across it. He groaned as he slowly got up. That's when he saw a Vixus wake up right next to him. It groaned as it opened it's glowing mouth and began to flap it's tentacles around. This creature was native to Umbara. It rested on the jungle floor and kept completely still, his tentacles acting as vines to anyone oblivious enough to walk by and become dinner to the stationary beast. The Republic encountered several of these creatures since the operation began, one of them Tup saw attacking Hardcase, before Fives threw a grenade down its gullet.

Realizing the dangerous spot he was in, the rookie Clone gently and quietly stepped back out of the creatures reach. A few moments later, it went back into it's slumber.

Tup was about to go back and rejoin the fight when he had an idea. He activated his com-link and spoke into it.

"Captain Rex, this is Tup. If you can, force the General towards me," Tup requested.

"What?" The confused captain asked into his comm as he continued to fire at Krell, who was still having his way with the clones. "Why?"

"Trust me," Tup said.

Rex spoke into his comm to speak to everyone around him.

"Troopers, listen up! Circle around. Lure him towards Tup," Rex ordered.

On Rex's order, the clones began to pull away from Krell, who was impaling a trooper with his saber. He watched as they ran off into the jungle. Deciding not to let them get away, he withdrew his blade from his latest kill and gave chase.

Meanwhile, back at the Vixus, Tup was carefully stepping over the sleeping creature's tentacles.

He then turned around to see his brothers being chased by Krell, just as he planned.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Krell laughed as his prey ran off into the jungle.

Tup fired a few rounds at Krell to get his attention. The Dark Jedi deflected all three of them.

"Hey, ugly! Come and get me!" Tup taunted.

Accepting the challenge, Krell broke off his pursuit and charged at Tup, who looked away just incase his plan failed. He didn't want to see it coming.

When Krell was close enough, he prepared to dive at Tup and turn him into a diced entree. But he jumped off of a 'vine' to jump at Tup, which was a fatal mistake. A mistake that Tup had planned on.

When it seemed like Krell was going to add another clone to his kill list, the Vixus' tentacles began to flap around until one of them grabbed onto Krell by the torso. Krell panicked and shouted in alarm as he was swung around by the creature's tentacles.

Tup just stood back and watched as he waited for his brothers to arrive.

When the Vixus tried to bring Krell close to his mouth, Krell swiped one of his blades at the creature's tongue, chopping it off. The creature groaned in pain and dropped Krell to the ground, who dropped his green dual saber. But before Krell could recover, the Vixus used another tentacle to grab him by the ankle. He was now being held upside down. Just when things seemed like they couldn't get much worse for Krell, Rex and the others came back to assist Tup. They blasted away at the General, who was only armed with his blue dual saber.

The General tried desperately to defend himself and not be eaten at the same time. He force pushed a few clones away from him, and as he was swung close enough to one clone, he swiped at him, barely grazing his ankle, and forcefully tripping him. That's when he reached up and severed the tentacle that was holding him. He dropped to the ground as the creature screamed in pain.

As Krell sat up and rubbed his bruised head, massaging a headache, the creature next to him was blasted repeatedly out of no where, before it finally died. He turned to face the origin of the shot to see Tup standing right in front of him, pointing a rifle in his face. Krell recoiled in surprise just before Tup fired on him. He was hit in the face with a stun blast, knocking him out cold.

Rex and the others walked over to inspect the unconscious traitor.

"I stunned him sir," Tup said.

Rex used his foot to push Krell onto his back, to make sure that Tup was right. He then looked at Tup.

"Nice work Tup," Rex said as a 501st trooper moved to restrain Krell with a set of binders.

* * *

 

Later, beneath the grounds of the Republic controlled airbase, the underground prison cells were occupied by Umbaran soldiers, who all had a look of hatred towards the clones, who were invading their home. Another cell was occupied by a clone trooper named Dogma, who stood in the way of justice. But another cell was occupied by someone else. A full-blown traitor, who had all of his arms restrained by binders. It was Jedi General Pong Krell.

The prison's lift descended to the lower levels, carrying Captain Rex and a few of his men.

"Why General?" Rex asked as he and his men walked in front of the shield. "Why kill your own men?"

Krell was sitting pretzel styled on the floor. When Rex asked his question, he smiled and chuckled as he stood up.

"Because I can. Because you fell for it. Because you're inferior," Krell mocked.

"But you're a Jedi," Rex said. "How could you?"

"A Jedi? HAHAHAHA! I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi. A new power is rising. I've foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war, and the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside." As Krell monologued, the clones reacted with fear and anger written on their faces. A nervous Jesse looked at Fives, who frowned, wanting to punch Krell right in his flappy chin. "In its place is going to rise a New Order, and I will rule as part of it."

"You're a Separatist," Rex accused.

Krell shook his head.

"I serve no one's side. Only my own, and soon ... my new master," Krell revealed.

"You're an agent of Dooku," Rex deduced.

"Not yet. But when I get out of here I will be," Krell said. "After I've succeeded in driving the Republic from Umbara, the Count will reward my actions, and make me his new apprentice".

"How could you do this?" Asked a new voice. Everyone looked over to see that it was Dogma, who was in the cell right next to Krell. "You had my trust. My loyalty. I followed all of your orders. And you made me kill my brothers!" Dogma shouted accusingly.

"HA HA HA HA!" Krell laughed as he stood taller. He leaned in to look at Dogma through the ray shield that separated their cells. "That's because you were the biggest fool of them all Dogma. I counted on blind loyalty like yours to make my plan succeed".

Dogma looked off to the side before he lowered his head in both embarrassment and shame. Krell chuckled again as he turned to face Rex again.

"That will never happen," Rex said assertively. "You're a traitor General. And you will be dealt with as one".

Krell smiled and shook his head. "You never learn Captain. The Umbarans are going to retake this base, and when they do, I will be free," Krell said as he sat back down, but with his back straight, as if to show his confidence in himself. Rex frowned and ripped himself away from the cell. He and his men stepped back onto the lift, which took them to the surface, leaving the overconfident General in his cell.

* * *

 

Outside the base, the battle of Umbara was back in full swing. Green explosions filled the night sky outside of the base, showing that the Umbarans were advancing. As this happened, Rex, Fives, Jesse, and Tup walked out of the prison building and onto the base's runway.

A clone sergeant named Appo was walking towards them with Kix, Hardcase, Waxer, and four other troopers.

"Captain. We've repaired the transmitter. It looks like it was sabotaged. We received a message from General Kenobi. He and General Tiin's forces have captured the capital. but the remaining Umbarans are heading here," Appo reported.

"Gather everyone on the perimeter. We need to prepare for a full-scale attack," Rex ordered.

Appo snapped off a crisp salute. "Yes sir," he said before he and the other clones rushed off to gather every trooper in the base.

As Clone troopers across the base scrambled to their positions, Rex faced the men that were gathered with him. "Krell sabotaged the transmitter. He's been against us from the beginning."

In response to this unsettling revelation, Fives stepped forward. "If the Umbarans get to him, he'll turn over all our intel. The defense codes, everything. He'll strike a crippling blow to the Republic".

Jesse jumped forward. "Something has to be done. We can't risk the possibility that he might escape".

"As long as Krell's alive, he is a threat to everyone of us," Tup said, putting in his two credits worth.

Rex was shocked at what was just implied by his men. He looked down in deep thought before he finally reached a conclusion.

"I ... agree".

* * *

 

Dogma was still in his cell, using his helmet as a seat. He could feel explosions rumbling through the ground, and vibrate through the walls around him. They were getting louder and louder. That meant that the enemy was upon them... and he was helpless to do anything about it. He could see the looks on the faces of the Umbaran prisoners. They couldn't wait to get out and start gutting some clones.

Dogma, for his part, couldn't help but sit in self-pity.

' _I killed my brothers. I kept them from arresting the monster responsible for it all. And now, I might die before I can ever make things right_ '.

As Dogma sat in his self-pity, he saw that the lift was coming back down. It was carrying Rex, Fives, and Jesse. When the lift came to a halt, the shield to Dogma's cell was deactivated. Fives walked up to it, prompting Dogma to stand up. Fives led him out of the cell, but kept his binders on.

Meanwhile Rex stepped over to Krell's cell and unholstered one of his sidearms.

"Turn around and step toward the wall." Rex ordered.

Krell rolled his eyes and did as he was told, more annoyed than afraid.

"On your knees." Rex ordered.

Krell just stood there as Jesse deactivated the shield to his cell. He looked over his shoulder at Rex.

"Ha ha hm! You're in a position of power now. How does it feel?"

"I said. On. Your. Knees." Rex ordered as he pointed his blaster at Krell's back.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Krell asked as he sunk to his knees. "But I can sense your fear."

Rex slipped his finger inside the trigger guard and put his finger on the trigger itself. But he didn't pull it. He just held it. He was hesitating big time. His hand began to shake. The gun shook as well.

"You're shaking, aren't you?" Krell asked, taking note of the fear building up inside of Rex. "What are you waiting for? The Umbarans are getting closer." He said as the explosions on then surface grew closer and closer.

Rex looked away from Krell, in deep thought. This had never happened before. Should he keep him alive for questioning? Should he just end Krell right now? Is this the way to treat a prisoner of war? For all he knew, either choice in front of him could have dire consequences.

"I have to do this." Rex said.

"You can't do it, can you?" Rex still held the gun in Krell's direction, but he still held his fire.

"Eventually, you'll have to do the right thing-" Krell said as a blaster discharged, and sent a blaster bolt straight into his back. He fell over with a groan and slumped over before he finally died on the cell floor.

The clones were all confused. Rex didn't fire. So he turned around to see that a pistol had somehow occupied Dogma's shackled hands. Smoke poured out of the barrel. They were all surprised. A stunned Fives felt his hip holster and looked down to see that it was empty.

Dogma had pulled it out to kill Krell.

"I ... I had to." Dogma said, sounding out of breath and looking like he was going to collapse. Fives gently put Dogma's hands down and removed the sidearm as he did so. "He betrayed us."

Rex looked down at the corpse of General Krell, deep in thought.

* * *

 

The clones of the 501st Legion would eventually drive the Umbarans back with support from Master Kenobi's forces, who continued to rout the remaining pockets of resistance. And the Separatist fleet was finally pulling out of the system thanks to General Unduili and the two padawans commanding the Republic's Naval assets.

It was soon time to round up the prisoners and take care of the wounded.

But despite what the propaganda vids would say, taking the planet wasn't going to be what stuck out for the Jedi Order or the Clones that fought on Umbara. It was going to be the fact that a member of the Jedi Order, a knight, had betrayed the Republic, and the Order that had sworn to protect it.

This was already shaking the Order at its foundation. But little did anyone know, Pong Krell's words, about the Jedi losing and the Republic falling, were going to haunt the Jedi order for the foreseeable future.

Another seed, that would bring about the fall of the Republic, had just been planted by the shroud of the Dark Side.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	2. Darkness Rising: Part 2-The Wrong Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I did it. Because I've come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize, that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this War. That we've so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, that we are the ones that should be put on trial, all of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become: an army fighting for the dark side, fallen from the Light that we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time."-Barriss Offee before being sent off to prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, Grubkiller here.
> 
> This is the next chapter. It should sound familiar. If it is, please read my 'Author's note' at the bottom when you're done.
> 
> I want to divide the story into acts, each act will be bridged by different little short stories from certain Clone Wars episodes, or ones that I was inspired to make. The first five or six chapters of this story will basically be the re-cap arc.
> 
> So please enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Clone Wars, it was created by George Lucus, currently owned by Disney.

**"I did it. Because I've come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize, that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this War. That we've so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, that we are the ones that should be put on trial, all of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become: an army fighting for the dark side, fallen from the Light that we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time."** -Barriss Offee before being sent off to prison.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_War continues to rip the Galaxy apart._

_Peaceful worlds must choose sides or face the threat of invasion._

_For the entire war, the Republic and Separatist armies have been locked in a stalemate. To break it, both sides vie for the control or influence of neutral worlds, create new weapons, secure new resources, and forge new alliances._

_Sometimes, they'll open up a new theater of war, which was what was happening right now._

_A former Republic world in the Core and Colonies region, named Cato Neimoidia, is in the middle of a great conflict. The Trade Federation is a large corporation that operates out of this system, and they've been contributing to the Separatist's deadly war machine for years. When concrete evidence came out that they were supporting the CIS, the Republic demanded that they stop providing aid immediately, or their assets would be frozen. The CIS, not wanting to lose a vital source of income, sends a large fleet to sieze control of the planet and evacuate their assets._

_In response, the Republic has sent their greatest Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawan Ahsoka Tano, and a fleet of Republic warships to drive off the CIS threat._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Above Cato Neimoidia, A task force of Ventaor-class Republic Star-Destroyers, along with their escorts, hovered above the planet, exchanging fire with a trio of Munificent-class Separatist Star Frigates.

A squadron of Z-95 headhunters were escorting a flight of Republic Gunships to the surface. They were being led by two Jedi Starfighters. One was yellow and gray, and the other was dark red with white and green markings.

A flight of Separatist Vulture droids went up to engage the Republic space craft. They fired their red laser bolts, but before they could do any damage, a volley of blue laser bolts from the yellow starfighter ripped two of the vultures apart, clearing the way for the rest of the Republic ships.

"Ahsoka, punch a hole for the gunships to get through," Anakin ordered over the comm.

"I know the drill master," the beautiful togrutan padawan replied.

She flew along side her master, blasting her weapons as she went. Several more vultures flew up towards the Republic fleet. Some were shot down by Ahsoka and her master, but the rest broke off, ignoring the Gunships. They continued down to the surface, punching through the thick cloud cover and eventually seeing the surface of Cato Neimoidia.

The planet was known for its massive arches, deep gorges and chasms, and even more so for the bridge cities. It was a breathtaking sight.

But that sight was ruined by a fleet of Separatist warships, which hung right above the arches and mountains. As the Republic space craft flew through the heavy flak, and as the Republic fleet began to break through from the atmosphere, the Separatist warships launched tri-fighter droids to engage them. Some of the fighters were shot down by the Gunships and Z-95's, but the rest made a hard turn and pursued the fighters. They fired, shooting down a pair of Z-95s, which spun out of control and exploded. They then pursued the Jedi fighters through the gold plated buildings of Neimodia's bridge cities. A couple of the pursing droids fired missiles at the Jedi fighters.

An alarm went off inside of Ahsoka's fighter.

"Look out, incoming missiles!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

She did a barrel role to the right, while Anakin swooped down slightly to duck from the incoming missiles.

"No problem," Anakin said confidently as the missiles flew passed them harmlessly.

That's when they exploded. Then a swarm of little yellow and gray soccer balls flew towards their fighters. They were buzz droids. They were little droids that were designed to rip apart the hull of any ship.

"Uh, slight problem," Anakin said as several of them attached to his hull.

Each droid opened up and went to work, deconstructing Anakin's fighter.

"Ahsoka, I've got buzz droids. How bad did you get hit?" He asked.

"I'm all clear,' she said.

He was stunned.

"What? You always have it easy snips," Anakin said, using his signature nickname for Ahsoka.

The buzz droids continued to use their little hacksaws to rip apart Anakin's ship. One droid got face to face with R2-D2, Anakin's astromech droid. It looked at him threateningly, flashing its little buzz saws. R2 simply slammed one of the wings of the ship onto the droid, crushing it.

"Good job Artoo," Anakin said as the droids began to bunch up over the cockpit window. "Someday, these droids are going to learn that they keep messing with the wrong Jedi," he said as he used the force to fling the droids away from his ship.

"Looks like you're clear," Ahsoka said as she checked Anakin's hull for more droids.

"Just keep watching and learning padawan," Anakin said just when he heard a sickly creaking sound beneath him.

He looked down and saw a drill puncture the floor between his feet.

"Uh-oh," Anakin said as electricity began to crackle around him,

"You're trailing smoke," Ahsoka said. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing serious," Anakin lied as he checked his instruments. "Just a small malfuncti-," Anakin tried to say before an explosion inside the cockpit threw his head back. The force knocked him unconscious.

"Master? Master, come in," Ahsoka tried to saw to Anakin over the comm. "Artoo? What's going on over there?"

Artoo beeped a reply.

"Unconscious? Fly back to the cruiser," she ordered.

Artoo beeped another reply.

"What do you mean something's wrong with the engines? Tip your wing. I'll see how bad it is," Ahsoka ordered.

Artoo did as ordered and tipped the fighter enough for Ahsoka to see the ship's belly. But that was the problem. She couldn't see the belly. The hull was covered with buzz droids. She was horrified and stunned.

"Oh that's not good," Ahsoka said as she looked forward in stunned contemplation.

Artoo beeped a question.

"Let's just say that now would be a good time to land," Ahsoka said, not wanting to alarm anyone. "Can you land on that cliff ledge?"

There was a large rock formation nearby. It had a cliffside strip. Ahsoka wanted R2 to land there.

Artoo beeped another reply.

"I don't care if the landing zone it too short. Get that ship on the ground," Ahsoka ordered.

Ahsoka flew her ship closer to Anakin's doomed one.

"R7," Ahsoka said before her droid beeped in response. "Take over the ship. I'm going after Anakin," she said as she pulled back on a lever, which released the canopy. Wind began to slip into the ship. Soon, the canopy was fully opened "Somebody has to save his skin," Ahsoka said to herself as she stepped out onto the hull of her own ship.

She stepped onto the wing, crouching down. R7 flew the ship next to Anakin's. They were almost wingtip to wingtip.

Beneath Anakin's ship, the buzz droids saw the cliff come closer and closer. One of them screeched in terror before they were smashed against the ground. As the ship skidded across the ground, Ahsoka jumped onto the hull, almost rolling off when she lost her footing. But when she regained her footing, she went up to Anakin's cockpit. She looked inside.

He was still unconscious.

She then heard R2 screech. She saw that the cliff was getting closer and closer. Acting quickly, Ahsoka reached for one of her lightsabers. She ignited her saber, the green blade extending from the hilt. She then slashed the laser sword across the canopy locks, opening the cockpit. She grabbed Anakin, pulled him out of the cockpit, and force jumped off of the ship and onto the cliff.

Ahsoka and Anakin went tumbling after they hit the ground, whilst the ship flew off of the cliff and into the gorge below. The young girl stopped and held her hand against Anakin, stopping him as well. Ahsoka then got up and ran to the cliff.

"R2!" She exclaimed.

The droid was nowhere to be seen. She then heard a boom echo throughout the valley. The white clouds glowed orange for a second.

Ahsoka stopped breathing for a second.

That's when she heard excited whistling and rocket boosters below. Then the dome-headed blue droid appeared out of nowhere.

"UH! Very funny R2," she said as she turned around to see Anakin waking up. "Are you okay Master?"

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him on his back.

 _'Some of my favorite dreams with him involve him being on his back ... and naked'_ , Ahsoka thought to herself as she thought about the crush she used to have on him for a while. Her cheeks warmed up a little as she blushed.

"Yeah," he said as he held his head. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, not much," Ahsoka said.

Then Anakin became agitated.

"Wait a minute. Wasn't I flying? Where's my fighter? How did I get here?" He asked, clearly alarmed.

Ahsoka smirked. "Fighter crashed, I saved the day. You're welcome," she said as she walked over to the cliff.

Anakin looked off into space with a confused look for a second.

"Hm. Okay then," Anakin said before he activated his com-link. "Rex? Ahsoka and I could use a little help".

" _Roger that sir_ ," Rex said over the comm.

As Ahsoka walked up next to him, his com-link blinked again.

A hologram of master Yoda appeared.

"Master Yoda," Anakin said, surprised.

" _Return to the Jedi Temple you should_ ," Yoda said.

Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other surprised.

"Uh, we're kinda busy master Yoda," Anakin said as a Separatist frigate's engines exploded, causing it to sink to the surface.

Republic and Separatist fighters were dogfighting all across the sky.

" _Important the reason is we need you, Skywalker_ ," Yoda said before an image of the temple replaced his own. Smoke was pouring out of it. " _Bombed the temple someone has. Need you to help us find the terrorist we do_ ".

"Who could successfully bomb the temple like that?" Ahsoka asked with concern.

"We'll be right there master," Anakin said before he shut his com-link off.

A gunship was landing on the cliffside. Ahsoka and Anakin walked over to it.

They had a new mission to attend to.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_When Anakin and Ahsoka got back to the temple, they immediately went to work solving the crime._

_They interrogated witnesses, and overlooked the origin of the explosion._

_They eventually discovered that the bomber was a woman named Letta Turmond, who placed small explosives in her husband's food before he went to work in the Temple's hanger bay. That's what caused the explosion, killing 6 Jedi, along with several clones and workers._

_Going to their apartment, and discovering Letta's little bomb making office, they chased after her and eventually caught her._

_After the funeral, Ahsoka was called to the prison where the bomber was being held. She claimed that she was forced into it._

_Before she could spill the beans to Ahsoka, she was killed. Levitated in the air and choked to death._

_Since Ahsoka was the only one there, she was accused of killing her._

_Then one thing led to another and she was accused of murdering several clones, whose bodies she happened upon. So the clone army went after her._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was a dark night.

Storm clouds hung over the horizon, preparing to unleash their thunderous fury.

But in the courtyard of Coruscant's military complex, amidst the the militaristic statues, red and black Republic banners, and floodlights, the massive doors opened up. When they did, they revealed a platoon of white and red armored clone troopers from the Coruscant Guard. In the dark cloudy sky, several gunships were flying around, scanning the base grounds for suspicious persons or activities.

They were on the hunt.

Their prey: Jedi Padawan Commander Ahsoka Tano. Wanted for murder.

Behind them, Ahsoka Tano, who was concealed by a gap between the massive dual layered double doors, stuck her head out to watch the clones walk by. Two of them were holding leashes, which were connected to the throats of the meanest looking Massiffs she'd ever seen. As the heavily armed clones marched, the dog-like creatures sniffed about, trying to pick up Ahsoka's sent.

When they walked passed Ahsoka, she gently snuck behind them. As she made it to one of the columns, which were lined up with massive twenty foot tall clone trooper statues, one of the Massiff's began on growl. It turned around and pulled his handler to look at the statues. It caught a glimpse of Ahsoka and made like he was going to pounce before he barked at her. The clone handler looked at where the dog was looking and saw nothing.

He whistled before he yanked on the chain leash, coaxing the dog to comply with its master.

"Come on Grezer. There's nothing here."

The dog stopped growling and continued to walk with his clone handler, who moved to catch up with the rest of his platoon.

But up above, Ahsoka was perched on top of one of the massive clone statues. She looked down and waited until the coast was clear. But behind her, the base doors began to open again, revealing Clone Commander Fox and several Troopers.

"There she is!" Fox shouted while pointing at her. Ahsoka recoiled in fear, turned around, and force jumped off of the statue. "Quick, stop her before she gets to the ship!"

Ahsoka jumped on top of the ' _First Battle Memorial'_ , which was an enormous red-brown slab of stone that was carved from Geonosian rock, which was apart of a memorial that commemorated the names and numbers of clone soldiers that fell in the first battle of the Clone Wars. A quote from Kal Skirata, one of the Mandalorians that was contracted to train the clones, was also engraved on the wall. " _It's not enough for us to remember them. It has to be something the whole galaxy can understand."_

She ran the length of the sculpted rock wall, trying to put some distance between herself and the pursuing clones, who began to open fire. As she ran, she ducked to avoid the incoming blaster fire. When she reached the end of the wall, she force jumped off of the ledge and into the middle of open ground. But that's when a large turbo-laser turret rotated to face her. It's barrels tracked her movements and unleashed a hailstorm of green laser fire. Green laser bolts hit the ground behind her, motivating her to run towards her ship much faster.

Commander Fox, his men, and the barking Massiffs they brought with them, continued to chase after her. That's when the turbo laser turret stopped firing and aimed at her fighter. It fired another salvo, causing the ship to go up in a green and black explosion that threw Ahsoka across the ground like a rag doll. She looked up to see her ship reduced to smoking debris. She then looked back at her pursuers with fear. She got back up and ran away. She saw a flight of stairs that led down away from the base. She stopped and skidded across the floor and rushed down the stairs, her clone pursuers hot on her heals.

* * *

Back at the courtyard, Fox was speaking into his comm.

"All right, don't lose her. We'll be right there."

"What's going on?" A new voice asked.

The clones turned to see Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex. They parted to let them through.

"We've found her. She's heading towards the industrial pipeline." Fox said, pointing towards the industrial pipelines nearby.

"Set weapons to stun. I want her alive!" Anakin ordered before he, Rex, Fox, and the others ran off in her direction.

* * *

Nearby, Ahsoka was running on the catwalks that ran the length of the massive pipeline complex.

The clones were hot on her heals. They stopped, took aim, and fired. Blue energy rings flew in her direction. They flew past her or hit the railings around her. Ahsoka turned and ran along another catwalk.

Some clones followed her on that catwalk, or they ran along an adjacent pipeline to continue firing on her. Stun blasts continued to fly or land all around her. She activated her lightsabers, turned around, and blocked three of the bolts that were right on target. She then turned back around to start running away again, her sabers still ignited. She found another staircase and jumped on the railing, sliding down it until she reached the bottom before she ran across to another staircase that led up to another catwalk. As she rushed up the steps, the clones began to fire on her again. She jumped over the railing and turned to face her pursuers. She was met by a wave of stun blasts. Ahsoka held up her blades and began to gracefully and expertly block the oncoming blasts, their blue energy crackling off of her green blades.

The clones stopped firing and began to run after her again, causing her to run away deeper into the industrial area.

* * *

On an airfield near the military complex, clones were piling into a pair of gunships. They turned their searchlights on and took off in the direction of Ahsoka's position. They flew into the rain that began to fall onto the area. On the ground Anakin and his men, who were running towards the pipeline.

Anakin spoke into his comm as he ran.

"Do not shoot to kill. Do not shoot to kill! Try to box her in. Don't let her escape. Tell me what you see, Oddball."

* * *

Ahsoka kept running.

The clones fired as they pursued.

Ahsoka knew it was coming. She swung her blades behind her back to block the stun blasts. She then turned around and crossed both of her blades in front of her face to stop more shots. When she saw that they were aiming for her feet. In response to this new tactic, she deactivated her blades and began to somersault backwards several times, the shots hitting where her feet used to be.

She reactivated her sabers and began to run again, blocking as she went.

* * *

The Gunships began to fly along the pipeline she was on.

" _She's moving west along the central viaduct,_ " Oddball said.

* * *

Ahsoka kept running on the catwalk. She was coming up on a tall conduit that divided the pipeline into sections. She stopped and turned to see the two gunships flying towards her. She turned around and force jumped into the air. She back flipped and spun in the air before she landed feet first onto the catwalk of the next pipe section.

The gunships flew alongside her.

" _All right, we got her now."_ Oddball said. He flew his gunship alongside Ahsoka, before he opened the side hatch, revealing a squad of clones that fired on her as she ran. She was blocking with her sabers, and front flipping as she ran to dodge the shots she couldn't block.

"This will knock her off her feet." One of the clones said as he picked up a rocket launcher.

He aimed it near Ahsoka. He fired. Smoke shot out of the back of the launcher and propelled a projectile in her direction. It hit the pipeline and sent her flying. She dropped both of her sabers. One fell onto one of the pipes and fell to the ground. The other landed on the catwalk which she was hanging from with her fingertips. As she hung there, she saw the clones from earlier firing on her behind. Stun blasts flew past her. Ahsoka pulled herself up and force jumped onto another conduit that allowed her to increase her field of vision. She turned around and used the force to summon her one remaining lightsaber blade. It flew into her hand and she activated it before she jumped away.

But when she tried to rush up to another catwalk, a gunship ascended right in front of her.

"Not so fast, Commander." The pilot said over the loudspeaker.

She tried to run back, but was blocked by more clones and snarling Massifs.

And there she was. In the middle of a spotlight from two gunships and surrounded by her own men.

All around her, more clones began to gather on the pipelines above her or rappel down from the gunships above her. She saw Anakin and Rex on one of the catwalks. They looked at each other, with horror written on their faces.

Before the clones could move to subdue her, she looked to her left and jumped onto on of the pipelines.

"Ahsoka!" Anakin shouted.

She landed on the pipe as the clones began to fire a storm of stun blasts at her. But she swiftly cut a whole into the pipe and jumped in, disappearing from sight, and leaving the clones baffled.

* * *

Later, Ahsoka moved through the pipeline and went into a storm drain that went underground. She avoided the clone patrols that were in the drain with her. She could hear their comm chatter and their feet splashing through the water.

She eventually came across the hole that overlooked one of the massive holes that led from the surface down into the Coruscant underworld. The wind gusted into the hole creating a breeze that was quite unsettling.

Before she thought of jumping in, a voice called to her.

"Ahsoka, what are you doing?"

She turned to see Anakin. He was alone.

"You didn't even try to come and help me."

"They wouldn't let me in to talk to you."

"You could have if you tried."

"How would that look, Ahsoka, huh? Forcing my way in would've made you look even more guilty."

"I'm not guilty!" There was sad desperation within Ahsoka's voice, as if she was begging her master to believe her.

"Then we have to prove you're innocent. The only way we can do that is by going back."

"I don't know who to trust."

"Listen, I would never let anyone hurt you, Ahsoka, never. But you need to come back and make your case to the Council."

"No." She snapped. 'I'm not going to take the fall for something I didn't do!" She said assertively.

"I am ordering you to put down your lightsaber and come with me now! Trust me."

They heard voices close by. And splashing. The clones were approaching.

" _General Skywalker, where are you?"_ One clone called out.

"I do trust you. But you know as well as I do that no one else will believe me. Anakin, you have to trust me now."

"Ahsoka, I do trust you."

"I know you do." Ahsoka said before she turned around towards the entrance to the underworld. "Wish me luck."

She looked over her shoulder and shared one last look with him before she jumped into the hole. Anakin rushed to the edge just as Rex and the others arrived. They watched as Ahsoka descended into free-fall. She stopped when she landed on a freighter that slowly descended into the underworld.

She looked at her master one last time before she descended into the next phase of her situation.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Ahsoka went underground, trying to avoid Clone Trooper patrols, while on a quest to prove her_ _innocence. With the help of her friend Barriss Offee, and Asajj Ventress (painfully_ long _story), she came across the lair of the real bomber._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ahsoka walked into the old abandoned warehouse that Barriss pointed her out to earlier. She walked inside and began to inspect some of the rusted out containers and shelves that collected dust.

"How am I supposed to find a clue when I don't even know what I'm looking for?" Ahsoka asked herself as she ran her hands along one of the containers.

Suddenly, she heard the unmistakable sounds of lightsabers being ignited behind her. She turned around and saw a cloaked lightsaber wielding figure jumping down on her from above.

She activated her own saber just in time to block her attackers blades. Ahsoka tried to push back, but the attacker shover her back. Ahsoka grunted as she was shoved against the containers behind her. The assailant swung both red blades at Ahsoka. But she ducked and slid under the figure's strike. She then stood up to face the cloaked figure.

They swung their blades against each other, while being sure to block and parry each others blows. Both fighters crossed their blades again. But Ahsoka was able to use her green blade to force both red blades into the ground. With the figure's defenses dropped, Ahsoka delivered a kick to the attacker's gut. But the attacker did the same, kicking Ahsoka's gut in return. They pushed each other back until they were a few yards apart.

Both duelists stared each other down. Then, the figure held a blade in front of its masked face. It was the same mask that Ventress wore earlier. It was her blades as well.

"Ventress! I see you've had a change of heart." Ahsoka said.

That's when ' _Ventress'_ used the force to pull a large metal beam down from the ceiling. Ahsoka looked up at the falling beam and back-flipped out of the way just in time. The metal beam hit the ground, kicking dust up everywhere. Ahsoka coughed when she was engulfed by the dust cloud. Ahsoka waved her hands and fanned the dust away. Through the disbanding cloud, she could see ' _Ventress_ ' climbing up multiple shelves to get out of the warehouse. Ahsoka rushed forward and began to climb up as well.

She jumped over the top of the ledge and growled as she assumed a fighting stance. But to her surprise, no one was there. She looked around. She was on another level of the warehouse. She could see stacks of containers everywhere. But no _'Ventress'_.

"Why bring me here? Answer me, Ventress. Why?" She kept calling out. She kept her guard up, scanning the area with her eyes and listening to the sounds around her with her Lekku.

She saw a pair of pipes clang together on the ground, causing her to tense up in fear. She looked at the pipes, completely perplexed. But then she heard the sounds of sabers igniting behind her.

"Ah!" Ahsoka exclaimed when she turned around and blocked ' _Ventress's_ ' attack.

 _'Ventress_ ' kept attacking, striking with her blade. Ahsoka was forced to block as she moved back deeper into the warehouse. She was forced to open up her defenses in response to one of her opponent's forceful strikes. Her opponent then kicked her in the torso so hard that she flew back through a pile of crates. But despite the wind being knocked out of her, she got back up and saw her opponent circling the crates between them. Ahsoka stepped out and limped towards ' _Ventress'_.

Their blades were ignited. Ahsoka stumbled towards _'Ventress_ ', who was walking back. Then she rushed up a few steel beams and jumped up to another level of the warehouse. Ahsoka followed. But then she saw several pipe pieces rolling down towards her from the level above. She grunted as she rolled to the sides and avoided them. She then rushed up the vertical beams, jumped, and then back flipped onto the upper level.

She was standing right next to ' _Ventress'_. _'Ventress'_ lunged forward, but Ahsoka vaulted over her back. Then she turned around and swung her blade down into ' _Ventress's_ ' back. Or she would have had _'Ventress'_ not dodged. Ahsoka swung her blades at _'Ventress'_ until she stabbed her blade in ' _Ventress's_ ' direction. But she dodged it, forcing Ahsoka to plunge her blade into a metal column.

She then ran after _'Ventress'_ and crossed blades with her again. She then forced her red blade into the ground, allowing her to deliver a kick towards _'Ventress's'_ head. ' _Ventress'_ leaned back to avoid it, and Ahsoka swung at her neck. But _'Ventress_ ' jumped over and behind Ahsoka. Ahsoka then turned to face her, but _'Ventress'_ slashed the barrels behind her, causing compressed gas to spray out and hit Ahsoka in the face.

Ahsoka screamed when she was temporarily blinded. That's when _'Ventress'_ jumped back and force pushed a pile of steel pipes at the leaking gas. The sparks ignited the fuel and began to burn brightly.

Ahsoka noticed this and ran. Just as the fuel tanks exploded, she vaulted over a piece of sheet metal to shield herself from the blast. But the blast sent her and the sheet metal flying.

* * *

Captain Rex and Anakin were flying in a Gunship that was flying through the underworld. That's when Rex heard a message on his comm.

_"Calling all units. Suspicious activity on level 1315."_

Rex turned to Anakin, who was listening. They nodded to each other and told the pilot to turn around. They were soon flying towards the warehouse in question.

* * *

Ahsoka was pinned by the metal shield and somewhat disoriented. She could barely move. But then she felt the metal being lifted off of her. She began to crawl away when she saw _'Ventress'_ standing above her, who tossed the metal sheet aside with the force.

She bent down and lifted her up be her shoulder and threw her face first into the wall.

Ahsoka grunted in pain.

But she managed to stumble to her feet and activate her saber, holding it between herself and Ventress as she stumbled backwards. _'Ventress'_ kicked a pair of crates out of her way to get to Ahsoka. She then summoned a force push that sent Ahsoka flying through another pile of crates. She landed near a ledge, where her lightsaber landed next to her and rolled off of the edge.

But despite watching her blade fall away from her, and feeling groggy and sore, Ahsoka wasn't done. She got back up and stumbled into a fighting stance. She raised her fists to _'Ventress'_ and twirled around in a circle, delivering two circular kicks into the figure's direction. But the figure got under her attack and elbowed her in the ribs. Ahsoka grunted in pain and stumbled backwards. That's when the figure delivered a mean kick to Ahsoka's forehead. Ahsoka grunted and screamed as she fell off the ledge and crashed through two stories of wooden floor until she landed in a room full of crates. She groaned in pain as she tried to get back up. Her head was throbbing, her bones ached, she was covered in bruises, and she was fairly certain that she suffered a concussion. But still, she managed to get up on her hands and knees.

That's when she saw the crates in front of her.

Her eyes opened in shock and surprise.

"Nano-droids?"

She looked up to see the figure, that she'd just fought and assumed was _'Ventress_ ', looking down at her from two floors up. They stared at each other. But then the figure walked away.

Ahsoka was confused. _Why was she walking away?_

She got her answer when she turned around and saw several clones led by Commander Wolffe cornering her. She put her hands up and desperately tried to explain herself.

"No, Wolffe, let me explain-"

But it was too late. The wolf-pack commander fired a stun blast that overloaded her nervous system, before she collapsed into a crumpled heap. The clones went to subdue her. They soon started investigating the crates as Anakin and Plo Koon walked in.

Anakin kneeled down next to her and held her wrist. Sadness was written all over this face.

"Explosives," Wolffe said as he picked up a canister of nano-droids to examine it. "These are the same types of nano-droids that were used to blow up the Jedi Temple".

Anakin was surprised.

"I can't believe it".

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Ahsoka was captured and sent to the temple to be put on trial, where she was kicked out of the order and the military, and then sent to a Senate trial after Admiral Tarkin pressured the Jedi to do so._ _Only Anakin believed her to be innocent. Even Plo Koon, who brought Ahsoka into the order when she was three, was forced to follow the council, while in deep sadness._

_Then she was put on trial in front of the senate and she was about to be sentenced._

_But during the trial, Anakin was trying to clear her name. He spoke to Asajj Ventress...(yes, Asajj Ventress)...sense she was with Ahsoka in the underworld._ _The former dark assassin told Anakin about someone named Barriss, one of Ahsoka's closest friends._ _But that's when Anakin went to confront her. She then tried to kill Anakin, and after a lengthy duel through the temple's grand halls, she was apprehended._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Courtroom_.

Chancellor Palpatine looked out over the chamber. On either side were senators and military leaders of the Republic. They were voting on Ahsoka's verdict. The chancellor was given a data pad with the final vote. He looked at it and spoke. Ahsoka's defense, Senator Padme Amidala, looked defeated.

She failed to defend Ahsoka.

To defend a friend.

To defend the padawan of her secret husband.

"Ahsoka Tano. By an overwhelming margin, the Senate has voted to..." he paused, looking past Ahsoka at the entrance. "...What is this?"

Everyone looked at the main entrance to see Anakin Skywalker and two temple guards escorting a Mirilian girl.

"Your excellency. I bring you the real Temple bomber," Anakin said, pointing at Barriss.

"Barriss?" Ahsoka asked under her breath.

All eyes were on Barriss, and a torrent of whispered conversations erupted from the chamber.

Camera droids floated near her, projecting her image across Republic space.

 _"_ I did it. Because I've come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize, that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this War. That we've so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict, that we are the ones that should be put on trial, all of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become: an army fighting for the dark side, fallen from the Light that we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It's only a matter of time _,"_ Barriss said.

Everyone was stunned to silence. Ahsoka looked like she would feint and tear up at the same time.

Palpatine stood up. "Take her away," he ordered.

Barriss was pulled away by the two guards, leaving Ahsoka, and everyone else in the chamber, stunned.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Council Chamber, Jedi Temple_.

Back at the Temple, Ahsoka was meeting with the Jedi Council.

"Ahsoka, I am so sorry about everything," Anakin said.

"You have our most humble apologies, little 'Soka," Master Plo Koon said. "The Council was wrong to accuse you".

"You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence," Master Saesee Tiin said.

"This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight," Master Ki-adi Mundi said.

"This was actually your great trial. Now we see that. We understand that the Force works in mysterious ways, and because of this trial, you have become a greater Jedi than you would have otherwise," Mace Windu said.

"Back into the Order you may come," Yoda offered.

"They're asking you back, Ahsoka," Anakin said as he held out Ahsoka's silka beads, which were taken from her before the trial _. "_ I'm asking you back".

Ahsoka looked from Anakin to the silka beads and back again before reaching out. But instead of grabbing the beads, she closed Anakin's hand around the beads. Anakin had shock and hurt written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, Master, but I'm not coming back," Ahsoka said before she walked out. Anakin was stunned. Moments later, he ran after her, leaving a saddened council behind. Obi-Wan tried to follow Anakin, but Plo Koon placed his hand on his shoulder, causing Obi-Wan to stop and let Anakin go after Ahsoka on his own.

* * *

Outside the temple on the west exit, facing the setting sun, Ahsoka was preparing to walk down the stairs. But Anakin was right behind her.

"Ahsoka, wait! Ahsoka, I need to talk to you!" Anakin called out

She stopped and turned, just as Anakin caught up to her.

Anakin sighed.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"The Council didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?" She asked.

"What about me? I believed in you. I stood by you," Anakin said.

"I know you believed in me, Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now," she said.

"The Jedi Order is your life. You can't just throw it away like this. Ahsoka, you are making a mistake," Anakin pressed.

"Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own, without the Council and without you," Ahsoka said.

"I understand. More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order," Anakin said, almost on the verge of tears, as he thought about his secret wife, who was Ahsoka's defense.

Ahsoka looked at him with a sorrowful expression on her face, knowing exactly what (or who) he was talking about.

"I know," she said, much to Anakin's surprise, as she turned and began walking down the stairs.

Anakin watched her with a surprised look on his face until she disappeared down the steps of the Jedi Temple, out of his sight.

She continued walking towards the sunset... towards the future.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> Well Damn. I almost cried writing the latter half of this chapter.
> 
> But I'm Man enough to keep it together during scenes from my favorite TV show. (*Sniffle*, *Weep*, uncontrollable sob.) Okay I lied! DON'T JUDGE ME!
> 
> But anyway, back to the chapter.
> 
> I know what you guys are all thinking: "But Grubkiller, why are you ripping scenes from episodes that we already watched?"-confused/crybaby reader.
> 
> I'm glad you asked dear reader. This chapter isn't really apart of the main story, per se. It's more like a prologue for the next section of the story. Sense this'll be a merge between several story arcs, both canon, and ones that I made on my own. I'm dividing this story into sections, which will be bridged by chapters/Clone Wars throwbacks like the one you just read, in order to help you all put things into perspective better, and as filler, before all leading up into the penultimate storyline. Chapters like this one also set the tone that I'm trying to set. (i.e. dark, ominous, mysterious, gritty).
> 
> Anyway, please stick around, and be sure to leave your thoughts down in the review section.


	3. Darkness Rising: Part 3- Conspiracy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, Grubkiller here.
> 
> Here's part 3 of 'Rise of the Empire'.
> 
> Disclaimer: Clone Wars was created and owned by Lucasfilms.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_"You... you know the one. The... the mission, the one in our dreams - that never ends. The one in our dreams. Oh, brother... This is the end. Forget the mission. Oh, the nightmare. I'm . . . . free."_ \- CT-5385's last words.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Ringo Vinda._

An important industrial production center, Ringo-Vinda was encircled by a massive space station that served as a distribution point for all incoming and outgoing resources, which were used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems too fuel their war effort. Close to 'The Wheel', and on the border of Separatist space, it was ripe for a Republic assault.

As Republic and Separatist warships hammered away at each other, and their fighters swarmed each other around the ring and between the two fleets, _Anakin Skywalker valiantly leads his men from the 501st against the onslaught, which has lasted several rotations with neither side gaining any ground._

_Aided by the twin sister Jedi Masters Tiplee and Tiplar, the Republic now mounts a desperate offensive to break the deadlock inside the station._

* * *

Deep inside the space station that surrounded the Ringo Vinda, Republic forces slowly moved from corridor to corridor, clearing out the droids that got in their way, while simultaneously keeping their backs covered.

Jedi Knights, Tiplar and Tiplee, led a group of clones, equipped with shields, down one hallway and began cutting their way through a squad of B1 battle droids. Fives and his men were following them, but then broke off from them to move down a corridor to their left to link up with General Skywalker and Captain Rex.

"Push forward!" Anakin shouted, waving his troopers forward as he deflected a volley of blaster bolts.

The troopers of the 501st continued to blast their way down the hallway, at a slow pace, leaving a trail of broken droids in their wake.

"Stay to my left." Clone Trooper Tup said to Fives as he crouched down and squeezed off a couple shots down the embattled corridor. That's when, in his peripheral vision, he could see a damaged B1 droid laying against the wall, using its remaining power to slowly raise its blaster rifle. When he saw that it was aiming at his comrade, Fives, Tup acted quickly. "Fives! Watch out!" He shouted before he dove to the left and shoved Fives to the ground, before he used his rifle to put the droid down for good.

"Gah!" Fives exclaimed as he started to get back up, before he looked at Tup. "Thanks, brother. I owe you one."

"You owe me a lot more than one." Tup said as he offered his hand to Fives, who accepted it, and pulled him up, before they went to rejoin the fight.

As the Republic continued to advance throughout the corridors, Separatist commando droids dropped down from the ceilings, ambushing the Republic's flanks and threatening to overwhelm their positions.

But Masters Tiplar and Tiplee noticed this new threat, and acted on it.

"Tighten our flank!" Master Tiplar called out.

A squad of shield troopers from Commander Doom's unit shifted their aim, and a pair of clone gunners, wielding heavy rotary cannons, advanced from hid the shield troopers to lay down a murderous storm of blue plasma fire, cutting down several of the advancing commando droids.

Some of the commando droids jumped back in order to avoid the heavy fire, before they disengaged and took cover.

That's when another wave of droids, led by a trio of Droidekas, started to attack the Republic unit's flank.

The twin Jedi raised their swords and started deflecting oncoming blaster bolts.

"Shields up!" Tiplar called out.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The clones called out in unison, before the shield clones moved in front of the jedi, and put their shields on the deck, just as the droidekas unfolded and activated their bubble shields, before unleashing a hailstorm of red plasma fire.

The force of the blaster fire, pushed against the clones as they felt the shock through their shields. But they held firm. That's when they parted the shields a little, just enough to allow Tiplar to reach out with the force, and lift the droidekas up. That's when the clones rolled about a dozen EC detonators, aka 'droid-poppers', under their shields and down the corridor, where they stopped right underneath the floating droids. That's when Tiplar let them down, and the grenades detonated inside of their shields, cooking their circuits and shutting them down.

With the main threat eliminated, the clones lifted their shields and continued their advance, with the twin Jedi knights leading them.

Eventually, all of the Jedi and both of their units met in the middle, capturing a control room from the Separatists.

With the room's floor littered with several dead droids, the Republic moved into the room.

"Don't get too comfortable." Anakin said to his men as he placed his hand on Fives' shoulder, who was taking his helmet off. "This battle hasn't been won yet."

"Master Skywalker, we must get to the command post." Master Tiplee said, as the clones deployed a hologram that showed a layout of this section of the station. "Admiral Trench has sent for reinforcements. We must take this post before they arrive."

Anakin nodded, and they crouched down to get a closer look at the holo-map. The clones gathered around to get a better look.

"It's time for phase two. We're at this position." He said, pointing to the control room that they were in, before directing their attention to the three paths that led to the main command post. "Tiplar, you'll take your men down this passageway. Tiplee, you'll move along here. They'll have to divide their forces to counter us. And when they do, Rex and I will press through the middle. If we time it right, we'll all converge on this spot at the same time, and the droids won't know what hit them."

The clones all had mixed feelings about this ambitious battle plan.

Commander Doom, a green and gray colored clone, crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head.

"If we're making a run, we'll need backup. My men are severely depleted."

The Jedi all looked at Doom, and then at each other. Then Anakin looked at two of his men, Fives and Tup.

"Fives," Anakin said, causing him and Tup to snap to attention, "you and Tup take ten of your best men - and support Master Tiplar."

They both nodded. "We're on it, sir." Fives said.

As the Jedi and the other clones started to get into position, Tup started rubbing the top of his nose and his forehead, before he shook his head back and forth lightly, as if suppressing a headache.

Fives noticed this. "Hey, you all right?"

Tup let go of his forehead to look at his friend. "Yeah - I," he said before he held his forehead again, "I just-"

Fives tapped Tup's shoulder, getting him to focus. "Come on. This is a textbook battle. We've run through this a million times before in training."

Tup tried to focus, and then blinked rapidly before shaking his head, still trying to shake off that headache. "Yeah, I know. I just, I don't feel like myself." He said before he went back to massaging his forehead.

Fives leaned in and lowered his voice, concerned, and somewhat confused, by what Tup was saying. "What do you mean?"

Tup ignored Fives and looked up at Master Tiplar, who was standing with Commander Doom, directing their troops down the corridor.

"Jedi," Tup said, with a hint of venom in his low voice. That's when someone slapped him on the back, snapping him out of his trance. he looked around and saw Fives looking at him.

"Tup, what's the matter with you?"

Uh, nothing," he stuttered, "I'm fine. Come on, brother," Tup said as he put his helmet back on, "Don't want to be left behind."

The Three jedi and their respective clone groups continued to fight their way through each corridor, mowing through many droids along the way. As they did, they could hear a voice over the PA system from Admiral Trench.

_"Increase our defenses! We must hold them here!"_

It meant that the Separatists were getting desperate, as the Republic continued to advance, pushing the droids back into a large open area filled with cargo containers.

Fives looked back at his men, and waved his hand to urge them forward.

"Don't fall back! Push forward!" He ordered. Then he Tup holding his head again. "Tup, hey, this is not the time to freeze up. Pull it together. We're almost to the finish line. Come on!"

Fives charged forward and fired, while Tup tapped his helmet a couple times to knock the headache out of himself.

Tup then tried to advance with the rest of his brothers, who were punching their way through the Separatist lines. Tup took cover behind a pillar and took aim at a spider droid, but then saw that Tiplar was already on top of it, driving her lightsaber deep into the droid's domed head.

But that's not what he was focused on. He was focused solely on the Jedi.

He watched as she continued to maw through the droids that tried to stop her, all of whom failed. Then, everything around Tup became a blur. His brothers, Skywalker, the battle. Heck, even the sounds of battle became mute.

All he was focused on was the Jedi. . . . and the headache.

He took his helmet off and continued to stare at Tiplar.

"Jedi." He said. Then suddenly, everything became clear to him. He knew what the headache was telling him to do. "Good soldiers follow orders." He said to himself as he slowly walked towards Master Tiplar, who was unaware of what was going on with Tup.

But Fives noticed it. "Hey, Tup!" He called out. Then he just stared at Tup, walked right up to Tiplar, who was still fighting. Then Tupaimed his rifle straight at the back of Tiplar's head. Then she heard the blaster cocking, and she turned her head to look over her shoulder.

That's when Fives sprang into action.

"Tup, no!"

And the blaster discharged, sending a blaster bolt straight through Tiplar's head.

master Tiplee caught wind of it, just after it happened.

"Sister!" She exclaimed, feeling immediately distraught.

Tup looked down at the corpse. But then he twitched and started to hold his head again. That's when he felt someone charge into him and tackle him to the ground from behind. That's when he saw that Fives had put him in a chokehold.

The battle seemed to stop for every clone and Jedi in the room, as they saw what just happened. But the battle didn't stop for the Separatists, who immediately took advantage of this lull in the fighting to mount a heavy counter-attack.

"Hold your positions!" Anakin called out to his men, who were struggling and desperately fighting off the advancing droids.

Tiplee stopped fighting and ran up to her sister's body, and sat her up, checking her face for vitals, which she failed to find.

"Destroyers!" Commander Doom called out, before he and his men blasted at them.

But they unfolded and started firing on the clones. Then a group of SBDs with jet packs hovered behind them and started firing, cutting down multiple clones.

"We've lost our momentum." Anakin called out as his men started to falter, and the droids continued to advance. "Fall back!" Tipple carried dead sister out of the room, while Rex and Doom rallied their men for the retreat. Anakin and some of the men remained a little while longer to cover them. As Anakin deflected blaster bolts, he looked down as Fives, who still had Tup in a stranglehold. "Fives, I don't know what's going on, but you are responsible for Tup now. Get him back to base. I want answers."

Fives nodded and began to drag Tup out of the room, as Anakin and the remaining clones slowly withdrew from the droid infested room.

* * *

In the command post, above the room that was just fought over viciously, Admiral Trench was analyzing the footage of Tup killing Tiplar from multiple angles.

A Super Tactical Droid, General Kraken, walked up to him.

"The Jedi have withdrawn their forces." He reported.

"Contact Count Dooku, immediately, tick tick tick. I have something he'll be very interested in, tick tick tick."

* * *

Back at the starting point of their assault on the command post, the Republic was still retreating from the droids. They were desperately trying to slow them down. As the Republic retreated inside of the communications center that they controlled, they worked hard to lock down the entrances before the droids could overwhelm them.

As Anakin deflected laser bolts, his men set up auto-defense turrets outside the doors. When they were done, the cannons went straight to work, cutting down any droid that was in their way.

With the droids slowed down, Anakin and his surviving men retreated into the room, and the doors shut, before other troopers started using laser cutters to weld the doors shut.

As Anakin's men went to hold the door's Tiplee, Commander Stone, and several of their men, were hovering over Master Tiplar's body, who was being held in Tiplee's arms.

"Why?" A distraught Tiplee asked before she looked up at Anakin. "Why would he do this?"

"I'm about to find out," Anakin said empathetically before he went to go see where Tup was being held. He was being held in a utility closet, surrounded by Rex, Kix, and Fives. "How's he doing, Rex?"

"I'm not sure, General." Rex said as Anakin walked passed him and looked at Tup. "It seems like he just snapped."

Tup was sitting down, looking down at the ground.

Rex crouched down and placed his hand no Tup's shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Tup, can you hear me?"

Tup looked straight at Rex. "Yes, Captain."

"What happened?" Rex asked.

The young trooper looked confused, and shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Rex asked.

But Tup didn't answer. He twitched, and suddenly, he started looking up at the ceiling while waving his head from side to side. Then he started saying the same thing over and over again.

"Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders."

Everyone started looking at him like he was crazy. "What is he talking about?" Kix asked as he crouched down to get level with Tup.

Rex shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have no idea."

Tup continued to say the same thing over and over again, even as Kix checked his eyes and for any signs of apparent psychological damage.

"Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders," Tup repeated as he started to stare at Tiplee, who entered the room. He kept staring at her, even as Kix started to wave his hand in from of his face, all while still repeating the same thing. "Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders."

Then his anger and disgust flared up as he continued to stare at Tiplee, and his head started to buzz and ring, telling him to do one thing.

"Kill the Jedi. AAAhhhh!" He screamed as he shot up from the bench, shoved Kix out of the way and pushed him into Anakin, and lunged at Tiplee.

But before anyone could react, or before Tup could harm anyone, Tiplee raised her hand and used the force to make Tup freeze and float off of the ground. As he kicked and struggled to get down, Tiplee then force pushed him against the wall, and pinned him there. But she didn't let him go. Part of her wanted to keep him there forever, and make sure that he could never harm anyone like her sister again.

But before she could act out those un-jedi-like thoughts, Anakin placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her to snap out of it.

"We have to get him back to the medical bay before he hurts anyone else." Anakin said.

Tiplee nodded, and dropped Tup, who doubled over and started coughing, before Kix and Fives picked him up.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_A flaw in the plan! While in the middle of a heated battle, clone trooper Tup lost his senses and killed a Jedi General. Seeming to have no awareness of his actions, Tup's health began to deteriorate rapidly. Fearing the illness was linked to a Separatist plot, Anakin Skywalker has dispatched Captain Rex and ARC Trooper 5555 to escort Tup back to the cloning facilities on Kamino for an intensive evaluation._   
_But during the investigation, Fives discovers a tumor inside of Tup. In a desperate attempt to save_ _his friend's life, Fives located and removed a tumor from Tup's brain, with the help of medical droid AZI-3._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Kamino cloning facility, med bay_.

In the Kamino facility's med bay, Fives and AZI-3 were at work, had just removed a tumor from Tup's head. That's when a Kaminoan scientist walked into the room.

"What have you done?" She asked.

"We've saved my friend's life." Fives said, before he started to show her the tumor. "This tumor is the cause of his illness."

Then the scientist tried to yank it out of his hands. "Give me that!"

But Fives resisted, refusing to let go. "You can't be trusted."

That's when the door opened with a hiss, and Jedi Master Shaak Ti entered the room with a squad of Clone Security Troopers. "Stand down, trooper." She ordered.

"General! I have evidence. It's right here." He said, refusing to let go of the tumor.

That's when, over the commotion, Tup began to stir on the surgery table. "I'm free. The mission... Free."

"Tup? Fives asked as he went to check on his brother.

"The mission... Free. The mission." He kept saying.

"What is he saying?" Shaak Ti asked.

Fives leaned down and placed his hand underneath Tup's head, trying to support him.

"Brother, what mission?" Fives asked.

"You you know the one. The... the mission, the one in our dreams - that never ends. The one in our dreams." Tup kept saying, to the confusion of everyone in the room. "Oh, brother," Tup said as he reached up with his free hand, which Fives took with one of his own. Then Tup froze, and started to lose strength, only able to speak with a whisper. "This is the end. Forget the mission. Oh, the nightmare. I'm . . . . free."

Then he passed out, and his heart rate flatlined.

"No. No." Fives said as he started to shake Tup, in a vain attempt to get him to wake up. He then shook his head, and lightly hit his clenched fist against the table. "I thought I saved him."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Clone crisis! After the mysterious death of his friend Tup, ARC trooper Fives embarked on an investigation, which led to the discovery of a hidden chip which is placed inside clone troopers when they are still embryos. The Kaminoan scientist Nala Se claims the chip is harmless, and is meant to restrain the clones from violent, unpredictable action. Fives claims otherwise, and has convinced Jedi Master Shaak Ti to allow him to plead his case directly to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine on Coruscant. But during the meeting with the Chancellor, the Arc Trooper lashes out violently, and is accused of trying to assassinate the Chancellor. On the run, Fives is hunted down by the Coruscant Guard. Hoping to try and reason with their comrade, Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain Rex agree to meet with the trooper in the Coruscant underworld._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Underworld warehouse_.

Anakin and Rex jumped out of their air-speeder and walked towards the warehouse that were given to them.

Anakin looked around. "Well, these are the coordinates Kix gave us. Let's hope Fives is inside."

Rex jumped out of the speeder and followed Anakin.

"Eh," Rex sighed as he shook his head. "I hope he knows what he's doing."

When they were inside the dark warehouse, Anakin ignited his lightsaber to give Rex and himself some light. Rex unholstered his dual pistols and followed close behind. In the dark room, there wasn't a sound except for their footsteps and the hum of Anakin's lightsaber.

A pair of ceiling fans slowly turned in an ominous fashion.

"Fives? Fives, we're here. Come on out. We just want to talk to you." Anakin called out.

No one answered.

But then, someone's voice started to echo around the room. A voice that belonged to Fives.

"General Skywalker, thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Now, have you come without troops?" Fives asked, sounding relieved, but also nervous at the same time.

Anakin and Rex stood back to back and started looking around the room.

"We have." Anakin said, while scanning the room, lightsaber raised and ready.

"Put down your weapons, then." Fives requested.

"I don't think so, Fives." Anakin replied.

"Please, sir! Please, I'm unarmed." Fives pleaded.

Rex glanced over his shoulder to see Anakin looking at him. They both nodded at each other, before Anakin deactivated his lightsaber.

"All right." Rex said, walking up to a supply crate, and placing his sidearms on top of it. "I'm putting my pistols down."

Then Rex kept his hands up, and stepped back away from the box.

"What are we here for, Fives?" Anakin asked.

"I need your help." Fives said.

"I know you do. We know you're not well. It's been rough for you these past couple days." Anakin said as he and Rex continued to look around the room.

"I'm not crazy! Please, please, just just hear what I have to say." Fives begged.

Anakin and Rex heard footsteps, and they heard Fives' echoes slowly die down, and they were able to register the approximate source of his voice, and they believed it to be behind some kind of power generator.

"We're here to help you, Fives. Just come with us." Anakin said as he and Rex started to walk towards the generator they believed Fives to be behind. "Let us take you back to the Temple."

Suddenly, a white ray shield activated, trapping the two of them where they were.

"No!" Anakin exclaimed, before slamming his fist against the shield.

That's when they saw Fives step out from behind the generator.

"I just need you to listen to me. Please." Fives said.

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not really sure we have any other choice."

Fives stepped forward, about to speak with them directly. He literally had a captive audience.

"I was framed because I know the truth the truth about a plot, a massive deception." He said.

"By whom?" Rex asked as he took a step closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with Anakin.

"Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof of it. I can prove that everything that I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt!" Fives exclaimed, becoming more agitated as he continued speaking.

"Show me the evidence." Anakin ordered.

The evidence is in here." Fives said, pointing to his head. "It's it's in here. It's in all of us, every clone."

"What is it?" Rex asked.

Fives' frown turned into a look of despair, before he leaned his head again a large supply crate. "Organic chips built into our genetic code to make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi." Fives said, looking back at his audience, Anakin, more specifically. "It's all in here." Fives said, pointing to his head again."

Anakin looked at Rex, without turning his head, and saw that he was scratching his head. He either wasn't buying it, or he found it hard to swallow. Anakin looked back at Fives.

"Let's just get you some help first. Then we can review everything. It'll be okay, Fives. We'll sort this out." Anakin said, trying to sound reassuring.

Fives's look of frustration turned into one of anger. "Ah, you don't believe me!" He shouted.

* * *

In a pair of gunships that were descending into the underworld, clone shock troopers from the Coruscant guard, and led by Commander Fox, were checking their weapons.

"We're closing in on the target." Fox said to his men. "Everyone be ready."

The troopers raised their blasters in the port arms stance, and stood tall.

They were indeed ready.

* * *

Fives was leaning against a crate, and holding his head. He was still trying to explain himself to his CO's.

"Fives, we are listening to you. We only want to help." Rex said.

"How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know it won't be a trap? The Chancellor will try to kill me. I promise you that!" Fives exclaimed.

"The Chancellor?" Anakin asked.

* * *

Fox's men entered the warehouse, and slowly moved so as not to arouse suspicion.

* * *

"He's in on it! I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!" Fives said.

"He told you?" Anakin asked, thinking that Fives' story was getting crazier by the minute. "When you tried to assassinate him? You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor isn't capable of what you claim."

"He is! I swear to you, General. You have no idea-" Fives tried to explain, before he was interrupted.

"Stand down, soldier! Stand down!" Fox ordered, as he and his men burst into the room, aiming their weapons at Fives. "Get on your knees!"

Fives turned around and started waving his hands. "No! No! No! Stay back!" Then, when he realized that the shock troopers weren't stopping, he looked at Rex's pistols on the crate.

"Don't do it! Don't do it, soldier!" Fox ordered.

"Get away from me!" Fives shouted before he reached for one of the pistols, and prepared to use it.

"Fives, no!" Rex shouted. But he and Anakin were helpless to do anything behind the shield.

Then Fox pulled his trigger, and blaster bolt went straight through Fives' chest.

Fives dropped the pistol, before he looked down at the searing hole in his chest. He reached up to his chest, then he started to cough and gag, before he started to fall over.

"Fives!" Rex shouted,just before Fives hit the ground. "Fives!" He shouted again as he pounded his fist against the shield. "Fives!"

Anakin looked at one of the shock troopers with a look of anger. "Get this ray shield off!"

One of the troopers nodded and pointed his rifle at the shield projector on the ceiling. He fired, demolishing the projector and deactivating the shield, allowing Rex and Anakin to help Fives... as best as they could.

"Fives." Rex said, as he turned Fives over to inspect his injury. "Brother." He said before he turned to the troopers. "Call for help! We need a medic!"

The shock troopers scrambled to get some help.

Fives coughed, and tried to find the strength to speak. "Rex," Fives said in a strained whisper.

"Fives," Rex said as he looked down, reassuring his brother that he was here, while also urging him to continue."

"This... it's bigger than any of us than anything I could have imagined." Fives said through gasps of air, as Rex, and the other clones, hung on his every word. "I-I never meant to..." he said as he reached up to grab Rex's shoulder. When he missed, Rex leaned in for him, to hear him better. Fives then spoke into his ear. "...I only wanted to do my duty."

Rex felt like he was about to cry, and Anakin looked on in absolute stunned horror.

"Brother," Rex said. Then he noticed that Fives was having trouble breathing, and was slowly starting to slip away. "Fives. Stay with me, Fives!" he exclaimed before he started shaking him. "Fives!"

Then Fives started speaking again. "The mission - the nightmares - they're finally. . . . . over." He said before he finally passed away.

"Fives?" Rex asked, before he started to shake him awake, "No, Fives. Come on, Fives, don't go! Stay with me." He begged, as Anakin and the clones, who took their helmets off, watched with saddened looks on their face. "Stay with me. Fives! Fives! Don't go." Then he realized, that his brother, the last of Domino Squad, was no more. "No... Oh, no."

Rex then finally rested Fives' body against the deck, and stood up, as the other clones started to gather around him, paying their respects. Anakin placed his hand on Rex's shoulder, reassuring his captain that everything was going to be alright.

Even though, on the other side of the galaxy, that wasn't remotely the case.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Dooku's Palace, Serenno_.

On the planet, Serenno, a man with a hooded cloak sat at the desk in his private chambers, speaking to a hologram of a kaminoan scientist. Her name was Nala Se, the same scientist that came to Coruscant with Shaak Ti and Fives.

She bowed respectfully before speaking to the hooded figure. "Lord Tyranus, have you received the inhibitor chip that you requested?"

"I have, indeed." The hooded figure said. "You have done well, doctor."

Nala Se bowed her head respectfully, before her hologram disappeared.

That's when the hooded figure put his hood down, to reveal his face.

It was none other than Count Dooku, leader of the CIS, and apprentice to the mysterious Darth Sidious.

He looked at the chips in his hand, before he pressed a button on his desk. He then got out of his seat and kneeled down, just before a hologram of his master appeared on the desk in front of him.

"Our plan has gone undiscovered, master. The clone in question is now dead, and the Jedi still suspect nothing." The Count said while still kneeling, not raising his head.

_"Good. Destroy all evidence. When the time comes, no one will be able to stop our plan to execute Order 66._ " The hologram of Darth Sidious said, before he started laughing maniacally.

The Sith were one step closer to achieving their ultimate goal: Galactic Domination.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (T_T)
> 
> That's part three folks.
> 
> One of the saddest moments in all of Clone Wars. Fives did his duty until the very end, hoping to save the Jedi, his brothers, and the galaxy from a hate arguably worse than death.
> 
> Part 4 will be right around the corner.


	4. Darkness Rising: Part 4-The Lost Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys and gals, Grubkiller here.
> 
> I know that it may seem strange that I'm just taking scenes from the Clone Wars. But I'm only using them as a prologue arc that will lead to my main story. I feel that it's the best way to set the tone for the story, and recap all of the dark moments in the clone wars that gave everyone Revenge of the Sith vibes.
> 
> I portrayed Ahsoka's betrayal arc from Season 5, I did a chapter about General Krell's vision of the Empire rising, and the preview of Order 66. This time, I'll write what is literally the script of the 'the lost one' episode, and a scene from the Kyber Crystal arc.
> 
> in two chapter or so, I'll publish the first major act of the story.
> 
> So anyway, I hope that you all enjoy it.
> 
> "Grubkiller's Disclaimer: I don't own Clone Wars, or any other Star Wars related material. It was created by lucasfilms, which is currently owned by the dark side. So please, for the love of God, don't sue me and make me shut down my account.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

* * *

**"If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Jedi, and the Republic would vanish. There would be mass chaos."-** Mace Windu, upon realizing that the Sith were behind the creation of the Clone Army.

* * *

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_"A long-awaited truth!"_

_"A distress signal has been received at the Jedi Temple, and Master Plo Koon has been dispatched to investigate its origin. The signal is from a ship thought to be lost and was last known to be in the possession of a Jedi Master who was killed long ago..."_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Oba Diah's frozen moon_.

_"Can anyone hear us? Come in, please. We're not getting anything over here. We're off. We must be way off_ ". Came a voice from inside the blizzard, which was blasting snow across the desolate landscape.

Through the blizzard, the sounds of giant machines rumbled through the storm. Republic walkers, tanks, and infantry were stomping and trudging through the frozen and Godforsaken landscape that made up the surface of Oba Diah's moon. The Clones from Master Plo Koon's Wolf-pack were looking for their objective: A distress signal from a long-forgotten ship.

" _Negative. It is here. The data specifically states. It has got to be,_ " another clone said over the comm from inside the lead Republic viechle, a large ten-wheeled juggernaut tank.

" _We've scanned the area three times. This is a wasteland. There's nothing,_ " the first clone said into his comm, as he and his comrades continued trudging through the snow.

* * *

Inside the juggernaut, the unit's leaders were overseeing the operation.

"All of our information pinpoints it is here," Commander Wolffe of the wolfpack unit said to the trooper outside, as he stood over a trooper who was manning the comm terminal.

" _I don't know what to tell you, sir. We're getting no visual and no recognition on the scanner,_ " the trooper outside informed.

"We must locate the source of the signal, Commander," Plo Koon said. "Press on," he ordered.

Seconds later, an alarm began to blare inside of the tank.

"Wait. I think I've found something. It's very faint, sir," the comm trooper said as Wolffe and Plo leaned over his shoulders to look at the terminal.

"That is it," Plo said.

Wolffe nodded at his general and they both went to exit the tank.

* * *

"Halt! Halt! Halt all vehicles!" One of the clones outside called out.

Every viechle in the Republic column came to a sudden crunching halt.

Clone Troopers began to investigate the area with their flashlights. They followed Plo Koon as he walked away from the convoy. They still couldn't see anything because of the storm. But then they saw something.

It was a silhouette of something.

An object.

The troopers waved their lights against the object. It looked like a ship of some kind. Only it was ripped open in some spots. Plo Koon ducked in order to clear his head beneath the opening in the damaged hull.

"The hull shows substantial scoring and wear. Whenever it crashed, it wasn't recently," Wolffe said as he and his men followed Plo Koon into the ship.

Plo Koon continued to investigate the ship, moving into it until he reached the cockpit.

"General Plo, the scans check out. It's a T-6 shuttle, all right, serial number 775519," Wolffe said as he continued following the Jedi Master into the ship.

The Kel Dor Master stopped when he saw something under a pile of snow. It was a cylinder of some kind.

As he lifted it, the snow was shaken off, revealing what it really was: A lightsaber.

"I want the entire area cleared. We're taking everything back to Coruscant," Plo told Wolffe.

"Everything?" Wolfe asked.

"Everything!" Plo confirmed.

As Wolffe and his men left the ship, Plo stayed in the cockpit of the dead ship. He was still examining the saber he found. He pressed the button on the hilt, igniting the saber. The blue blade extended from the hilt. Dust seemed to hover around the blue light.

Though he didn't know it yet, he began to suspect that this was the first time in years that this saber was activated.

Question was...what happened to the owner?

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Council Chamber, Jedi Temple, Coruscant_.

"Then it is the lost ship of Master Sifo-Dyas?" Mace Windu asked,

He and the other council members were speaking to a hologram of Plo Koon, who was still on Oba Diah's moon.

" _I found this at the crash site,_ " Plo said, levitating the saber hilt that he found at the crash site.

"Hmm, the lightsaber of Sifo-Dyas it is. Never found when he died it was," Yoda said, somewhat distraughtly.

Everyone in the council was silent as they remembered Sifo-Dyas. A former member of the Council, and a friend.

"Master Kenobi, remind the Council of what you discovered regarding Master Sifo-Dyas before the start of the Clone War," Mace said.

All eyes were on Kenobi.

"My investigation of the bounty hunter Jango Fett led to Kamino," Obi-Wan said, as everyone looked in his direction. He continued. "The Kaminoans recounted that it was Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas who ordered the production of a clone army".

"Without the consent of the Council or the Senate he did this," Yoda said.

"Prior to the blockade of Naboo, Sifo-Dyas sat on this Council until we judged his ideas to be too extreme," Windu said.

"Indeed, he said he foresaw a great conflict and that the Republic would need to raise an army. At the time, the Council rejected those ideas," Plo's holographic image said.

"Well, it's not the first time we've been wrong recently, is it?" Obi-Wan said.

"The creation of the clone army, kept secret from us Sifo-Dyas did. How this was done we know not, yet now a new piece of the puzzle we have," Yoda said, clasping his hands together whilst in deep thought. "Perhaps clarity it will bring us, yes".

Plo Koon bowed before his hologram disappeared, leaving the council to decide their next move.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Jedi Temple communications center_.

Several Jedi masters were gathered around Madam Jocasta Nu as she showed them a hologram of Sifo-Dyas' last known location.

"Our records definitively state that Master Sifo-Dyas died on Felucia. In the fifth quarter, a small skirmish broke out between the native Felucians. Master Sifo-Dyas was assigned to negotiate peace talks between the tribes". The Jedi librarian said as she showed a hologram of Sifo-Dyas and a hologram of his mission records shoed up over the holotable. "The negotiations failed, and Sifo-Dyas was killed".

" _What became of his body?_ " Plo Koon asked via hologram.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that," Jocasta said as the holographic data blinked red. "Any further information on this incident has been sealed".

"On whose authority?" Mace Windu asked.

"By the office of the Supreme Chancellor," Jocasta informed.

"Thank you, Madame Jacosta," Windu said.

Jocasta gave a slight bow before she left.

"To Felucia, Skywalker and Kenobi will go. A trail long cold it is, yet still lay hidden there a clue might be. Question all who were present the day of Sifo-Dyas' death, you must," Yoda ordered.

"And what of the sealed file?" Windu asked.

"Speak with the Chancellor personally I will to see what part in this the politics of the Senate have played," Yoda said as he looked at the hologram of Sifo-Dyas, which looked right into his eyes ominously.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Senate Building, Office of the Supreme Chancellor_.

All across Coruscant, people continued to fly through the never ending beehive of traffic that crisscrossed above the city.

But in the Senate Building itself, the very center of Representative government was as busy as ever, as politicians went about their business, representing the needs of their people in this proud, yet deeply corrupt, institution. Behind a heavily guarded door was the very head of that institution. The Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic: Sheev Palpatine. He and Master Yoda were conversing.

"Master Sifo-Dyas? Forgive me. I'm afraid I am not familiar with that name," the Chancellor said.

"Died some time ago he did on Felucia," Yoda said as he hobbled around the lavishly decorated office on his cane. "Investigating his death we are, and yet sealed by the Chancellor's office some of his files were," Yoda informed.

"And what is the nature of your investigation?" The Chancellor asked.

"A Jedi matter it is, Chancellor. Add to your troubles I would not," Yoda said.

"That is very considerate, Master Yoda. May I at least ask when Master...?" The Chancellor paused and snapped his fingers whilst looking up at the ceiling, as if trying to remember the name.

"...Sifo-Dyas," Yoda said, helping the Chancellor.

"Yes, Master Sifo-Dyas. May I ask when he was killed?" Palpatine asked.

"Over ten years ago it was," Yoda said.

"Well, that explains it. I'm afraid this was before my time. Twelve years ago, I was a humble senator serving the planet Naboo. Only my predecessor, Chancellor Valorum, would have the answers you seek. I suggest you speak with him," Palpatine pointed out.

"Very well. Thank you, Chancellor," Yoda said as he hobbled out of the room.

The Chancellor gave a slight bow of respect. But then he frowned as Yoda exited the room.

Yoda looked back over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Palpatine walking off to the side before the door slid shut behind him.

His com-link began to blink. He reached for it and answered it. A hologram of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker appeared.

" _I have spoken with the tribal leaders on Felucia. They use a very ancient dialect, which is hard to understand, but from what I can make out, when Master Sifo-Dyas died, he was not alone. There was a second Jedi here with him_ ," Obi-Wan's hologram said.

The investigation just became more interesting.

"And the name of this second Jedi?" Yoda asked the holographic Jedi in front of him.

"Either I don't understand them, or they won't say. It's hard to tell. This is a primitive people we are dealing with. After his death, they cremated Sifo-Dyas' body, and I'm afraid the trail goes cold there. Did you have any success with the Chancellor?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Hmm, as much success as usual, I am afraid. Pointed in another direction I am now. To speak with Valorum I go," Yoda said before he shut the com-link off and put it away.

_A second Jedi was with Sifo-Dyas? Interesting this is,"_ Yoda thought to himself as he walked off to hail a speeder _._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Ex-chancellor Valorum's private residence_.

In the middle of Coruscant's imposing skyscrapers, there was a shorter building topped off with a mansion. It was surrounded by greenery, unlike the rest of the planet. The building was also guarded by Senate Commandoes. Master Yoda waited at the front entrance as a man in a blue outfit and gray hair walked down the front stairs. It was former Chancellor Valorum.

"It's been a long time, my friend. What can I do for you?" Valorum asked as he walked down the stairs.

"A file sealed by your administration the Jedi Council has come across," Yoda said as he walked with Valorum down the stairs.

"The subject of the file?" Valorum asked as he turned his head to face Yoda.

"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas," Yoda said.

"Sifo-Dyas?" Valorum asked as he came to a stop, clasping his hands behind his back. "When I was Chancellor, I sent him on a mission to deal with a flare-up in the Pyke syndicate".

Valorum was telling a much different story than the Jedi records were.

"The Pykes?" Yoda asked.

Valorum turned back around to look at Yoda.

"A powerful part of the spice cartel. Their criminal activities had allowed them to almost completely control the production of raw spice used to create a powerful drug. We were facing a full-scale war underneath the surface of Coruscant. Knowing of his expertise on the Underworld, I contacted Master Sifo-Dyas to stabilize the problem," Valorum said.

"Know of this, the Jedi Council did not," Yoda said.

"The Senate committee assigned to the matter feared that open discussions with such a criminal element could legitimize their activities and give strength to opposition leaders within the bureaucracy. Secrecy was our only choice," Valorum said as he looked back out over the horizon, or lack thereof.

"The timing of these negotiations, when were they to take place?"

"I cannot remember the precise timing, I'm afraid. It was so long ago. I do remember that the talks were postponed not long after our delegates arrived on Oba Diah, something about a flare-up of activity on Felucia".

Yoda began to notice that the two different stories were linked.

"Yes, intervene on Felucia, the Council insisted Sifo-Dyas did. But tell me, Chancellor. Who was the other Jedi you sent with Sifo-Dyas?"

"Other Jedi? I know of no other Jedi. There was only my personal aide, Silman, and Sifo-Dyas. I'm afraid they were both killed on Felucia"

"Personal aide, Silman?" Yoda asked.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Serenno, Count Dooku's private retreat_.

In Dooku's private estate on his home planet of Serenno, he was kneeling before a hologram of his master, Darth Sidious.

" _Tell me, why do the Jedi look for Sifo-Dyas? What trail are they following?_ "

"If there is a trail, it is unknown to me," Dooku said, maintaining his usually stoic facade. In reality, he was afraid.

" _Retrace your steps, find this loose end, and eliminate it_ ," Sidious ordered.

"I understand what is at stake, my Lord," Dooku said as he bowed. "I will go to the Pykes and take care of it".

" _This is not the first time you have proven to be clumsy, Lord Tyranus_ ," Sidious said as he began to close his left hand.

That's when Dooku began to feel an invisible pressure close around his neck. He was being choked. He gagged and tried desperately to breath, but to no avail. Sidious then raised his hand, forcing Dooku to levitate above the ground.

" _You know the price of failure_ ," Sidious said it venom in his voice before his hologram faded out of existence.

The pressure on Dooku's neck disappeared and he dropped to the ground, taking in deep breath. He then began coughing before he walked off to carry out his master's will. Failure would mean the end of everything that he and his master worked so hard to build, but not before Dooku met a slow end at his master's hands.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Jedi Temple communication center_.

Back at the temple, Master Plo Koon, who was back from his mission to Oba Diah's moon, was walking in on a conversation between Yoda and the holographic versions of Obi-Wan and Anakin.

They were addressing Sifo-Dyas, and Silman the personal aide to Chancellor Valorum.

The room was dark, and the holotable shines blue light on the dark walls.

_"The Felucians know nothing of this Silman_ ," Obi-Wan said before he and Anakin turned back to the holotable. " _No one there seems to know anything about him_ ".

" _What's that symbol he's wearing?_ " Anakin asked, referring to the pendant that Silman was wearing on his cloak around his neck.

"The symbol of the high Chancellor, before the war, Chancellor Valorum," Yoda said.

"So we have one dead Jedi with no physical evidence of a body," Obi-Wan said aloud as Plo Koon pressed a few keys on the holotable, bringing up several planets. One of them, Felucia, blinked red. "...a second Jedi who appeared on Felucia that we have no record of, and now this Silman, personal attache to the Chancellor, is missing?" Obi-Wan continued.

"Yet now we know Sifo-Dyas and Silman were both on Oba Diah, according to Chancellor Valorum," Anakin added.

Plo Koon punched in a few more keys on the holotable. Two spheres appeared above the table. An orangey brown planet, with a small whitish gray moon orbiting it.

"The crashed shuttle I found was located on a moon which orbits the Pyke planet," Plo soon said, pointing to the planet he just brought up.

"Hmm. To the Pykes you must go, to Oba Diah, yes," Yoda ordered, pointing to the the two holographic Jedi.

Obi-Wan and Anakin bowed before their holograms disappeared, leaving Plo Koon and Yoda in deep thought.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Oba Diah system, Pyke syndicate territory_.

A Republic shuttle blasted out of hyperspace over Oba Diah, which was at the very heart of the Pyke syndicate's territory. It sailed through space until it moved through orbit. Anakin and Obi-Wan were piloting the ship. When they were through the atmosphere, they could see rock formations covered in a layer of clouds. They eventually found a compound that towered over the rocks. Freighters and cargo transports were coming in and leaving around the clock, dropping off or picking up products to make a profit.

Anakin reached up above him and pressed a key buttons, which engaged the landing gear as they made ready to touch down. The wings folded up, and their landing gear hit the deck with a thud that vibrated through the hull. A ramp extended from the bottom of the ship before they walked off of it.

They were on a platform that was filled with different boxes. It also had armed Pyke guards that were watching their every move.

When the Jedi walked passed them, they turned around to escort them into the building, which ws gray on the outside, with glowing green windows that allowed people to watch out over the landscape.

When Anakin and Obi-Wan walked into the building. A robotic hover sphere was watching them, as well as the guards. They walked past several Hutts, who were obviously in the market for something. They even saw servant girls and slaves on display.

Welcome to the far outer rim.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were eventually brought in front of a Pyke that was sitting on a throne of some kind. He was smoking something, possibly filled with something illegal in Republic space. He was also surrounded by togrutan and twi'lek servant girls, who wore clothing that only covered their wide hips and their large breasts ... barely. The Pyke leader, Minister Lom, looked up and breathed out an orange smoke substance.

He was vaping.

The alien looked at the Jedi with his purple glowing eyes.

"I cannot remember the last time a Jedi came here. Many years it has been," the Pyke boss said.

"Funny you should say that," Obi-Wan said. "We're looking for a Jedi that got lost here. His name is Sifo-Dyas".

"Oh, the Jedi Sifo-Dyas was here, but that was a long time ago," the stoned Pyke said.

"Master Sifo-Dyas' ship was found, crashed on a moon orbiting this world," Anakin said.

"What you found, we know nothing of," the Lom said as he accepted a wine glass from a togrutan servant girl sitting next to his throne. "Would the Jedi like to join us for a refreshment?"

Anakin was about to say something, as if to threaten him. But his former master, and friend, put a hand in front of him, interrupting him.

"The Pykes' offer is kindly accepted," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin rolled his eyes at his master's behavior.

The Pyke leader snapped his fingers. That's when a twi'lek servant girl walked up with a tray that had two glasses of drink in them. The two Jedi accepted the glasses.

"To friendship," the Pyke leader said as he raised his glass, before he began chuckling, somewhat ominously.

"Friendship," Obi-Wan said.

"Friendship," Anakin said, unconvincingly given his nature.

The Pyke boss downed his drink slobbishly, causing some of the drink drip down his chin. Anakin and Obi-Wan sloshed their drinks around, as if they were afraid to drink them. That's when Obi-Wan looked at the Pyke boss again. On closer observation, he saw that he was wearing the same pendant that Valorum's aide was wearing in his profile.

"What an interesting necklace that is. May I have a look?" Obi-Wan asked.

The Pyke finished his drink and spoke.

"Perhaps the Pykes have taken enough of the Jedi's time," the leader said.

"Oh, no, no. It's no bother at all. The Jedi are happy to know all the Pykes' secrets," Obi-Wan said casually before Anakin suddenly reached out with the force.

The servant girls recoiled in fear and the guards pointed their weapons at the two Jedi as their master was nearly ripped out of his seat. The necklace was ripped off of his neck and it flew into Anakin's hand.

"We have no quarrel with the Jedi," the boss said.

"Maybe you should tell us why you're wearing the crest of the Chancellor's personal advisor," Anakin said as he smashed his wine glass down on the floor before she flashed the necklace.

"I am confused," the boss said as he stood up from his throne. "Is the Jedi looking for a Jedi Master or someone else?"

"Stop playing games," Anakin demanded. "Sifo-Dyas was traveling with an advisor. They were sent here to negotiate with you," Anakin said as he pointed at the boss.

"Heheheh. Well, it looks like you have finally put the pieces together. The man you are looking for is here," the boss said.

Anakin and Obi-Wan glanced at each other, realizing that their suspicions were confirmed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Oba Diah, Pyke syndicate stronghold, detention block_.

The Pyke boss, along with a probe and a pair of his guards, was escorting Anakin and Obi-Wan through the detention area. Cells lined the corridor, which was full of small rodents that scurried around, looking for food.

"The Pykes wanted to gain an advantage over the other crime families, so alliances were made. One alliance was with a man named Tyranus," the pyke boss said.

"I've heard that name before. Jango Fett mentioned it during my Kamino investigation," Obi-Wan said.

"Tyranus wanted Sifo-Dyas dead," the boss said as he continued leading them down the corridor. "The Pykes were well paid to shoot down his ship. However, any man that is willing to pay to have a Jedi killed is dangerous and unpredictable. The Pykes inspected the crash to retrieve the Jedi's body for proof. But with the dead Jedi, the Pykes found another, still alive".

"Silman, the Chancellor's aide?" Obi-Wan realized.

"The Pykes gave Tyranus Sifo-Dyas, but the Pykes did not tell Tyranus of Silman. The Pykes needed insurance," the boss said.

"Insurance?" Anakin asked.

"Yes, and now the Pykes can bargain. We give you Silman..." the boss said as he pointed his hand towards the cell door. "...You forget about the Pykes' treachery against the Jedi".

Anakin and Obi-Wan walked up to the door. A buzzing noise sounded out as the door opened. Several little rodents scurried out of the cell. The two Jedi looked at each other with uncertainty written all over their faces.

They walked in and came up on a second door. It opened and they walked into a dark room, which only had a couple rays of natural light shining through.

"Hello? Who-who's there?" A voice asked from the darkness.

"We are Jedi sent to find you," Obi-Wan informed.

"Jedi? To find me? Why me?" a man asked as he peaked at the Jedi over a conduit in the center of the cell. "I was betrayed, forgotten long ago".

Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other.

Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

"No one knew you were alive," Obi-Wan said.

Silman stood behind the conduit, which was covered in fat maggots, which throbbed and slithered.

"Quick. Maybe you have some food. Have you-have you any food?" Silman asked.

"Of course," Anakin said as he reached into his pouch and grabbed a ration stick.

"Oh, oh! Oh, oh, oh! Oh!" Silman exclaimed excitedly as he rushed over into the light in front of the Jedi on all fours. "Thank you, my friend," he said as Anakin recoiled in disgust. Silman had a scraggily beard and was covered in those maggots. "A supply bar!" Silman said as he grabbed the stick from Anakin's hands. "Mmm, mmm. Delicious".

Silman lied down across the dome shaped conduit and studied the ration stick gleefully. But he didn't actually eat it.

"You see, I was so frightened I would have nothing to serve. Oh, oh, oh! Oh, oh!" Silman said with excitement.

"Serve?" Anakin asked.

"My my babies, they get so angry when I have nothing to serve," Silman said, referring to the maggots that were all over his cell.

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan.

"We might have a problem here," Anakin whispered to Obi-Wan.

* * *

_Oba Diah, Pyke stronghold, main landing platform_.

In the skies above Oba Diah, a ship of Geonosian design flew through the air towards the stronghold. As the ship came in for a landing, two guards walked up to the ship. When it landed, the doors opened and a ramp extended from them. A hooded figure wearing a brown cloak walked out.

"Tyranus! You are no longer welcome here," one guard said as they moved to apprehend the figure.

The figure brushed his hand to the side and the two guards were thrown off of the platform, screaming as they plummeted to their deaths.

* * *

_Detention block_.

"I think you've been cooped up in here too long, old man," Anakin said to the 'man' feeding the maggots in his cell.

"We've come to take you home," Obi-Wan tried to reason.

"Home? No, no, this is my home. I can't leave my friends," Silman said.

"You were traveling with Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Tell us what happened to him," Obi-Wan ordered.

"HAHAHAHAH! Sifo-Dyas? He died. Died, died, died, died. Tricked, we were. The Pykes are not to be trusted. Oh, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But the Pykes were not the ones. No, no, the Pykes were not the reason," the scraggily freak covered in maggots said.

* * *

The hooded figure was walking through the detention block, on his way to complete his mission.

* * *

"Who was responsible?" Anakin asked.

"Someone powerful, someone who who wanted to be Sifo-Dyas," Silman said.

* * *

Outside Silman's cell, the two guards noticed a figure approaching them. They readied their stun sticks and prepared to engage the figure. But then they were levitated into the air and choked to death.

* * *

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

"All is deception. Can't you see? Because because-" Silman tried to say before he was levitated into the air. He began to struggle for air as he kicked his legs wildly.

Anakin and Obi-Wan recoiled in shock as Silman's neck was crushed. His body fell to the ground. The two Jedi turned around to see a familiar figure in their presence. The figure activated his red lightsaber. The two Jedi activated their blue ones in response, whilst assuming a fighting stance.

"Dooku," Anakin said with venom in his voice. "For once, you actually came to do your own dirty work".

"Sometimes things are just that important," Dooku said as he took his own fighting stance as he spun his blade in his hand.

Anakin and Obi-Wan attacked Dooku. The count stepped back out into the corridor. Their blades clashed. Dooku had one hand behind him as he adopted a defensive stance. Dooku eventually led them out onto a ledge outside. Ships were flying overhead, although oblivious to the fight down below. On the ledge, both Jedi parried with the Dark Lord. They fought back and forth. One Jedi would attack and parry, while the other held back, until they switched back and forth.

This kept going until Dooku kicked in Obi-Wan's direction, his foot making contact with Obi-Wan's torso. The Jedi master stumbled backwards and balanced one foot on the ledge.

Anakin extended his hand and kept Obi-Wan from falling. But this gave Dooku an opening to attack. He lunged forward, aiming to sever Anakin's hand...again. But Anakin jumped back to avoid Dooku's attack. However, Obi-Wan had no one to pull him up.

"Ah! Obi-Wan exclaimed as he flailed his arms and fell off the ledge. But caught himself just in time.

He pulled himself back up, grabbed his saber, and rushed to help Anakin, who was being pushed back by Dooku. The two Jedi attack the dark lord from two sides, but Dooku expertly parried their blows. They then began to rush along the ledge as they continued to clash their blades together. Dooku kicked and pushed the Jedi away from him. He grabbed Anakin with the force and threw him at Obi-Wan. But Obi-Wan jumped over Anakin and slammed his saber against the ground, creating a small shockwave that sent Dooku back.

He grunted before he held his ground.

When he was prepared to fight again, the Pyke boss and a couple dozen of his guards began to pour out onto the platform.

They stood alongside the Jedi and surrounded Dooku.

"You have no business left with the Pykes, Tyranus," the Pyke boss said.

"Tyranus?" Obi-Wan exclaimed. He and Anakin were shocked. "You are the man called Tyranus?"

"I told you everything you needed to know on Geonosis all those years ago, Kenobi," Dooku said as he pointed his red blade at Obi-Wan. "You should have joined me. Sifo-Dyas understood. He saw the future. That is why he helped me".

"You lie. Minister Lom, if you are going to help us, now is the time," Obi-Wan said.

"Kill Tyranus!" The Pyke bass ordered.

Every guard opened fire on Dooku, who expertly blocked every round that came his way.

Dooku summoned a force push that sent all of the guards near Kenobi and Skywalker to the ground. He continued deflecting laser bolts, send them back to the Pykes, who intensified their fire. Anakin and Obi-Wan combined their efforts to summon a force push towards Dooku.

But he dodged it just in time, knocking minister Lom and his guards down instead.

Dooku then jumped back down and plunged his blade deep into Lom's torso.

The pyke groaned in pain as his organs were impaled and cooked at the same time.

More guards rushed out to help surround Dooku.

Anakin and Obi-Wan cornered Dooku against the ledge.

That's when Dooku casually stepped off of the ledge.

The shocked Jedi ran up to the ledge to watch him fall, only to see him reappear on a transport that was taking off and getting away.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin.

"Ill give you a push," he said.

Anakin took a running start, jumped off of the ledge, and was pushed by Obi-Wan.

He arched over the gap between the ledge and the transport, landing on it.

Anakin and Dooku fought each other viciously until he jumped back onto the engine. The two old rivals stared at each other from 20 yards apart. Dooku ran his blade across the engine, causing a chain reaction that caused several small explosions. Anakin was pushed back by an explosion and nearly fell back over the railing. He grabbed a hold of it. He then looked at Dooku through the smoke. Then he disappeared.

Dooku's solar sailor then appeared out of nowhere, leaving this whole mess behind. Anakin shook his head as he dangled from the hull of the damaged ship.

The mysterious enemy has eluded them once again. But he wasn't entire;y unknown

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Jedi Council Chamber, Temple, Coruscant_.

The Council was in session. Holograms of Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in the center.

"Know now we do that guide the creation of the clones from the beginning, Dooku did," Yoda said. "Hmm, our enemy created an army for us".

"If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Jedi, and the Republic would vanish. There would be mass chaos," Windu realized.

"Cover up this discovery we must. No one, not even the Chancellor, may know," Yoda said as Anakin looked to the side in deep thought. "Valiant men the clones have proven to be. Saved my life and yours they have many times. Believe in them we must. Win the war swiftly we must, before our enemy's designs reach completion, whatever they may be," Yoda finished.

Everyone looked at Yoda in stunned silence.

"Are you sure we are taking the right path?" Windu asked.

"Hmm, the right path, no. The only path, yes. Designed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, this web is. For now, play his game we must," Yoda said.

This was a deeply disturbing realization that the Jedi have made. If this conspiracy were to get out, it may mean the end of the Republic, an quite possibly the Jedi.

These were dark times indeed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's part 4 folks.
> 
> Hope that you all enjoyed.
> 
> Anyway, until next time, this is Grubkiller, over and out.
> 
> The next and last chapter, will be from the season finale of season 6


	5. Darkness Rising: Part 5-Visions of Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, Grubkiller here.
> 
> Here's part 5 of 'Rise of the Empire'.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Korriban, ancient home world of the Sith_.

Yoda left his fighter behind and walked through the Valley of the Dark lords. As he hobbled with his cane across the valley floor, Yoda looked up at the great statues, dedicated to the first Sith, who were exiled Jedi who had a falling out with the Order.

It was here, where the Sith were born, and a never ending struggle between the light and dark sides of the began.

He walked into the Great Temple, which was dark. Yoda activated his green shoot-lightsaber for more light. What little natural light that did come through the entrance showed a ceiling that was extremely high, allowing room for more statues. At the end of the room, a room sat at the feet of a great statue.

As he walked up to the tomb, he noticed a black mist coming from the seam underneath the large slab of stone.

A hiss also emanated from the tomb. The next thing Yoda knew, it was on fire.

But instead of smoke, the flames seemed to take the form of a spirit. The spirit was humanoid, wearing a full body of armor, topped off with a helmet that had the face of a skull as a mask, along with three spikes coming from the top of the blast helmet part.

The armored spirit, made of cinders and ashes, looked right at Yoda. But the Jedi master continued to hobble forward, unfazed.

The spirit spoke, his voice sounding raspy, and echoing out with every word.

"Why do you come to my tomb, Jedi?" he asked, gesturing to the temple around him.

"To learn," Yoda said simply.

The fire spirit leaned forward, looking down on Yoda with his glowing orange eyes. "Do you know who I am?" He asked, placing his own hand on his chest, gesturing to himself.

"Yes. Darth Bane." Yoda said, "The ancient Sith Lord, you are."

"Do you know why I am not forgotten?" Darth Bane asked.

"Created the Rule of Two, you did," Yoda said.

"The Sith killed each other..." Darth Bane said, his spirit floating in the air, circling Yoda in a menacing manner. "Victims of their own greed. But from the ashes of destruction, I was the last survivor. I chose to pass my knowledge to only one. I created a legacy so resilient that now you come before me." The Dark Lord began to chuckle at this glorious revelation. Then he looked back down at Yoda. "Have you come to be my apprentice? You must kill me to gain my place," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Yoda pointed his cane up at the spirit. "Dead you already are.

Bane's spirit laughed again. "Then what stands before you?"

"An allusion," Yoda said, "Real you are not."

Bane's spirit leaned down until his face was just centimeters from Yoda's. "You do not fear me?"

"No," Yoda said as he began to walk right through the spirit, phasing through him like he wasn't there, "exist you do not anymore."

The wind began to whistle, and a surprised Bane was suddenly being pulled into the tomb.

"NNOOOO!" He shouted, before being completely sucked back into the tomb. When he completely disappeared, the tomb began to open up, sliding back to reveal a staircase underneath, which led deeper into the temple.

Yoda then walked into the temple, hoping to find more secrets of the Sith, that the Jedi could use to its advantage.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Coruscant, the works, secret hideout for Darth Sidious_.

In a part of Coruscant known as the works, the Geonosian designed Solar Sailor flew through the red colored skies. In the center of this industrialized part of Coruscant, stood a tall tower. This was where Count Dooku was headed.

His personal ship flew towards the building, and then through a secret door that opened up, allowing the ship to land safely inside of the secret hanger.

The Ship's rear hatch opened, before extending a ramp that Dooku used to step off of the ship, where he saw his master, the True Lord of the Sith, walking up to him.

"I sense we have a great opportunity to strike a deadly blow to the Jedi Order." He said as he and Dooku began to walk together. "But we must act quickly".

* * *

In a dark inner chamber, filled with statues and guarded by commando droids, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyrranus stood around a ceremonial bowl, which sat atop a pedestal.

"Only the presence of someone significant to you would allow you to sense this ripple through time and space," Sidious explained.

Dooku thought about it for a few seconds, before the answer came to him. "My old master. . . .Yoda" he said.

"Yes," Sidious said, half-growling. "Master Yoda has come to Korriban, although why, I do not know. We shall, however, use the strong bond that once existed between you and your master to allow us to see things that we otherwise could not."

"How can this be done, Master?" Dooku asked.

"It is an old art of the dark side. Now, hold out your hand, Apprentice." Sidious said.

Dooku complied and slowly reached out with his hand, resting his wrist in the palm of his master's hand. Then he saw that his Master's other hand held a knife.

"I need but a drop for the ritual to begin."

Sidious used the knife, and ran it across Dooku's hand, allowing a single drop of blood to fall into the bowl, mixing in with a strange blue liquid.

That's when Sidious began to wave his hands around the bowl, before he started chanting, the sounds of his voice echoing around the room. "Kintik hadzuska sutta chwituskak! Kintik hadzuska sutta chwituskak!" Sidious then unleashed his force lighting onto the bowl, creating a blue flame. Dooku joined in with his own lightning, helping his master. "Jiaasjen Jidai, jiassjen Jidai!" When the Dark lord finished chanting, the blue flame roared from the bowl. "Now, concentrate on Master Yoda. Bring all your focus to him."

Dooku hesitated. "But will he not sense our presence?"

Sidious startled to laugh out loud. "We shall come to him with a familiar face, a long-lost face, one he would be eager to see again, one whom he would ask and want answered all the questions he seeks." Sidious said before he leaned his face into the bowl.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Great Temple, Korriban_.

Back on Korriban, Yoda continued to wander through the dark corridors of the temple. That's when he entered a massive chamber, where he saw blue energy illuminating a part of it. That's when he saw someone being suspended by it.

"Help me." Yoda heard.

The sound of the unknown figure's voice caused him to move more quickly.

"Please, please free me." The suspended figure begged.

"Sifo-Dyas?" Yoda asked as he got closer, surprised to see his old fellow master, alive and captive. "Alive you are!"

"Help me, please, Yoda." Sifo-Dyas said as he pulled against the energy tentacles that bound him. "I have been imprisoned for so long."

"Know who did this to you?" Yoda asked as he got closer.

The imprisoned master started to chuckle.

"What if I could tell you who the Sith Lord is? Free me, and I will reveal it."

"No!" Yoda said, staying right where he was, not buying what the 'Sifo-Dyas' was selling.

The imprisoned Jedi sighed. "He knows how to achieve what you seek."

"Captivated by the physical realm the Sith are." Yoda said.

"What else is there? Free me, and together we can know who the Sith Lord is, gain the power you deserve, and save the future." Sigh-Dyas said.

"No." Yoda said again, refusing to rescue 'his old friend'.

"You must free me!" Sigh-Dyas shouted, his voice echoing throughout the chamber.

"Nothing to show me the Sith have." Yoda said.

"We shall see." Sigh-Dyas said before more blue energy came from his restraints, surrounding Yoda. He began to turn around, looking for a way to escape. That's when Sifo-Dyas disappeared, and was suddenly replaced by Darth Sidious, who began to cackle maniacally, catching Yoda by surprise.

"Sidious..." Yoda said, before he was overcome with darkness, before he suddenly became light-headed, and fainted.

* * *

_When Yoda came to, he was on a Republic gunship._

_He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by troopers from the 501st Legion. The lead trooper he recognized as Captain Rex._

_"There is no question. The ship was carrying Count Dooku. We've scanned the area, and he is meeting with someone inside the building." Rex said, as he pointed out the readings on his data pad._

_"Thanks Rex," someone said. Yoda looked behind him to see Anakin at the center of the passenger bay. "Master Yoda, what are your orders,?" Anakin asked._

_"Orders?" Yoda asked confused, looking around at the troopers in the passenger bay._

_"Are you all right, Master?" Anakin asked._

_"Where am I? Yoda asked._

_"I don't understand." Anakin asked._

_"Tell me you must!"_

_"The industrial sector on Coruscant."_

_"What is happening here?"_

_"A rogue shuttle slipped through the security grid. We suspect Dooku was on board." Anakin explained._

_"And?" Yoda asked, urging Anakin to elaborate._

_"Master, this is your mission. Are you sure you're all right?" Anakin asked, concerned._

_Yoda reached up and touched his head. "Clouded, the dark side has made me. Tell me, who is inside?"_

_"We intercepted a transmission calling Dooku to Coruscant. We believe he is meeting with his master, the Sith Lord."_

_Yoda continued to reach out with the force. "Feel it I do. Feel their power."_

_"Your orders, Master?" Anakin asked._

_"Capture them we will. The time has come to discover the identity of this Sith Master." Yoda said._

_"And if they escape?" Anakin asked._

_"Escape, not. If it comes to it..." Yoda said as the Gunship's hatch opened, allowing light to flood into the crew bay. It also allowed Yoda to see three other Gunships, which were flying towards a tower in the center of their view. "...Execute them we must. End it now we will."_

_The Gunships, carrying a company of clones, flew toward the building. Then they began to circle it._

_Yoda studied the building with interest. But something felt wrong._

_"Prepare yourselves," he said._

_The clones all aimed their weapons at the building, and the gunships continued to fly around the building's outside._ _Suddenly, several bangs echoed through the air. That's when several rockets were fired out of the building._

_"Taking Evasive action!" The pilot, Lieutenant Hawk, shouted over the comm._

_The gunships all tried to bank hard away from the missiles. But two of them were hit and began to spin out of the air. One crashed into the ground, while another one hit the side of the building and scraped off the side before of the building before hitting the ground._

_More missiles were fired, but Yoda lifted his hand and all of the missiles suddenly froze in place. The clones watched with fascination as Yoda sent every missile straight back at the origins of the blasts. The missiles were flung at the building and exploded, causing the enemy fire to die down._

_"Get inside we must," Yoda ordered._

_"Pilot," Rex called out, "Blow open that hanger door"._

_The gunship turned to face the building before it fired a pair of missiles. They slammed into the side of the building and blew a hole open that was big enough for the two remaining gunships to land._

_When they touched down, the clones off loaded and poured into the hanger._

_"Move in," Yoda ordered._

_Anakin and his men, from the elite 501st, moved through the corridors. Yoda hobbled forward on his cane. That's when they all stacked up a door._ _Rex ran up to it, with a scanner in his hand. "I've got two confirmed targets on the other side. Prepare for any additional un-friendlies." He said as he ran his hand down the door. He tried to look for a door panel, but couldn't find one. He turned to the troopers._

_He then pointed to his men. "Jesse, Coric, breach that door," he ordered._

_"Commencing door breach maneuver," one of them said. They both placed an explosive on the door and stepped back. The explosives detonated. The locking mechanism was off line, and the clones rushed through the door and into a dark room. Yoda followed._

_Everyone filed into the room and fanned out before training their weapons on Dooku and a shadowy hooded figure, who both stood over a pedestal that had a blue flame emitting from it._

_The figure turned to the clones and the two Jedi in the room._

_"It appears we have ... company," the figure said to no one in particular._

_That's when several pairs red dotted lights blinked online. As they moved closer to the figure, they heard servos whining and metal clanking. The troopers tensed up when they saw several commando droids jump out of the shadows, led by some red cloaked guards, who were armed with staffs that were four feet long. That's when they activated them and showed that they were red lightsaber pikes._

_Dooku stepped forward to lead the guards and protect his master._

_"Take them," Anakin ordered, and the clones rushed in and began firing, their blue bolts illuminating the room. Several droids went down._

_That's when Dooku started deflecting blaster bolts with his red lightsaber raised his hands and shot blue electricity out of them. Several clones screamed as they were enveloped and shocked by this new attack, and killed or incapacitated by it._

_Before the rest could move forward, they were attacked by the red guards. The clone troopers were hit hard by these new attackers, and chopped to pieces._

_Anakin jumped over Dooku's lightning attack, and landed right in front of him, where they started_ _dueling, their blue and red sabers for another fight in a long list on encounters._

_"We need back up over here, now!" Rex ordered as he grabbed a Guard's staff, and got under his defenses, firing several shots into the guard's chest._

_That's when another platoon of clones rushed into the room. But six of them were special. They were clone assassins. They were trained specifically to deal with lightsaber duelists and force yielders._

_"I'm gonna evicerate you," one of them said before a cortosis blade extended from each of his wrists. The guards and clone assassins attacked each other, dueling and cutting each other down with their blades._

_Yoda walked passed the carnage and up to a wounded clone that Dooku electrocuted earlier. He placed his hand on his head, before shaking his own. He turned to the figure, who was still hovering over the blue flame emitting from the pedastal._

_"We meet at last, Darth Sidious," Yoda said as he hobbled over on his cane._

_Darth Sidious stepped away from the blue flame._

_"You cannot stop what is to come," Sidious said before he ran off, leaving the carnage filled room._

_Yoda chased after him._

_Behind him, Anakin and Dooku were still fighting. They continued to strike and parry each other. But then Anakin, letting his anger get the better of him, let out a cry of frustration, and swung his blade low, slashing at Dooku's thigh. The Count held his thigh as it seared with pain, all while still trying to parry Skywalker's lightsaber blows. Dooku tried to catch Anakin in a saber lock, but his loose grip allowed Anakin to spin the blade around and force Dooku to release the saber, which flew up into the air, before Anakin reached up and caught it._ _He activated it, and crossed both blades over Dooku's neck, as the Count dropped to his knees, completely at Skywalker's mercy._

_But Anakin was beyond the point of mercy with Dooku._

_As Yoda continued to chase after Sidious, he stopped and turned to see Anakin and Dooku._

_"Skywalker, no!" He exclaimed, knowing what was about to happen._

_Anakin, with hatred written all over his face, slashed both of his blades through Dooku's neck, causing his head to role onto the floor, and his body to slump down._ _Yoda, having seen the whole thing, shook his head in_ _disappointment. But he couldn't worry about Anakin's step into darkness, and he continued to run out of the room._

_He had much bigger concerns._

* * *

_Sidious ran out of the building onto a skinny catwalk that connected to a different building. The industrialization in the area caused the sky to glow a menacing crimson color, with dark clouds that also glowed red._

_Behind Sidious, Master Yoda was hot on his heels._

_In order to rid himself of the Jedi pest that followed him, Sidious turned around and back up towards an array of antennae that jutted out from the center of the catwalk._

_He summoned a lightsaber from his sleeve, and ignited it. He assumed a threatening, and menacing, stance and pointed his blade down at the Jedi Master that followed him, while raising his other hand, ready to use it to summon the power of the force in his fingertips._

_Yoda pulled his robe back slightly, and used the force to summon his shoto lightsaber into his hand. He activated it and waved it around himself before pointing it at Sidious._

_The two combatants stared each other down, not moving for several heartbeats. But then, Yoda shot up from the ground and somersaulted in the air several times, throwing off Sidious' concentration. But when he jumped up again, this time when he came back down, he began to clash with the powerful Lord of the Sith._

_Yoda jumped and spun around, striking at Sidious with his sword. Being much taller, Sidious was forced to keep low in order to keep the short Jedi master from getting underneath his defenses. But then, Yoda would jump up and attack from above, forcing Sidious to change the direction from which he had to defend himself. This made Yoda unpredictable, and forced Sidious to stay on the defensive. He then began to walk back along the catwalk, and slowly move around the antennae, while parrying Yoda's rapid strikes._

_Yoda began to somersault over the Sith lord, throwing off Sidious. When Yoda landed, he summoned a powerful force push that sent Darth Sidious sliding back about twenty feet away. Yoda was about to take full advantage of this opening and charge at Sidious. But then, a voice called out from behind him._

_"Master Yoda!"_

_Anakin rushed in to help Yoda, while the clones moved in and aimed their weapons at the Sith Lord, waiting for the signal to apprehend him._

_Other clones took up positions on the adjacent catwalks to surround Sidious._

_Sidious lashed out with his saber, trying to probe the Jedi's defenses. But Anakin and Yoda parried the Dark Lord's thrusts. When Sidious was forced to stop attacking, Yoda used this opportunity to use the force and push the sith lord back. Sidious slid back across the catwalk._

_That's when Anakin rushed in and moved in to finish off Sidious._

_Yoda raised his hand. "NO!"_

_The Dark Lord raised his hands, and Anakin floated off of the ground. They began to groan and cough as Sidious choked the life out of him. He then shot arcs of force lightning from his fingertips._ _Sidious then threw the 'Chosen One' away like a rag doll, landing behind Yoda._

_Before Sidious could turn his attention to Yoda,_ _Rex and the clones all opened fire on Sidious. But he expertly deflected their rounds, some shooting back into the clones that fired them, causing them to fall over the railings and plunge to their deaths._

_Before Yoda could attack, Darth Sidious tucked his arms in and then extended them, unleashing a blast of energy in all directions, which made the two adjacent catwalks crash away, making several clones fall to their deaths. Rex and the other clones flew down the middle catwalk, hitting the wall behind them, before falling unconscious._

_Yoda was able to contain the energy of the blast with the force, but before he could regain his balance, Sidious sent an arc of lightning into the Grand Master._ _Instead of summoning his saber to defend himself, he raised his hands and began to contain the lightning within balls of energy that formed in his palms._

_Both Sidious and Yoda inched closer to each other. Lightning was still shooting out of the Sith Lord's hands, and Yoda continued to contain the incredible amounts of energy within the palms of his hands._

_Sidious leaned over and stood right above yoda, hoping that by getting closer, he would blast him off of the catwalk, just like the clones earlier. But suddenly, Yoda pushed back with all of his might, and the energy became too much for Sidious. Their closeness caused a burst of energy that sent both opponents apart. Yoda hit the railing, but Sidious flipped back over the railing and fell._

_When the lightning stopped firing, thunder began to clap in the distance._

_Yoda rushed up to the side that Sidious fell over and looked down to see where he went. He didn't see anything on the catwalk below. And the only thing he saw below that was the smog that was emitted from the factories on this part of Coruscant._ _It was quiet. The only sound the Jedi could hear was the gentle gust of wind that blew around the catwalks out here._

_Then suddenly, he heard a saber ignite, and out the corner of his eye, he saw a a red lightsaber blade plunging through the cat walk from underneath. He then heard a menacing chuckle. It was Sidious, who was using his red blade to slice through the supports beneath the catwalk._

_The section that Yoda and the unconscious Anakin occupied began to wobble and creak._

_Darth Sidious jumped on another catwalk, while Yoda struggled to maintain his balance. He summoned his lightsaber with the force, and then turned back to jump onto the section of catwalk that Sidious occupied._

_He assumed a fighting stance and pointed his blade at Sidious. But then he heard a metallic creaking sound behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the other catwalk start to give way. As it lowered, Anakin's unconscious body began to slide off of the catwalk._

_Yoda turned around and deactivated his lightsaber. He raised both hands and began to summon the power of the force, concentrating on Anakin. Just as he began to slip off of the section of catwalk, he began to levitate in the air._

_Sidious cracked a demonic smile and inched closer to Yoda._

_"Save him, Jedi," he said mockingly. "Can you save him?" He asked before he fired an arc of lightning at Yoda._

_Yoda reactivated his saber and used it to block the lightning. Because of this, he nearly dropped Anakin. The catwalk broke free and nearly fell to the surface below._

_But it didn't._

_Instead, it floated in the air with Anakin still on it. But then he lost his grip, nearly dropping him. But then he just focused on Anakin, who floated in mid air, while the catwalk section fell to the surface below, and smashed into hundreds of pieces._

_The catwalk that Yoda and Sidious were on began to wobble as well, causing Yoda to stagger. Sidious fired another arc of lightning at Yoda, who raised his saber to block it, making his green sword crackle with blue energy. He was now struggling to save Anakin, defend himself, and keep himself from falling._

_The catwalk wobbled again, causing Yoda and Sidious to both stagger. Sidious frowned and fired another arc of lightning. Yoda blocked it again, and nearly dropped Anakin again_

_The catwalk wobbled again, and creaked under the strain of the extra weight._

_Sidious staggered, but then he caught himself on the railing. "Why not let him go? Let him die, and you can stop all that I will do," the Sith Lord said, tempting the much older Jedi._

_He then fired another arc of lightning at Yoda, which Yoda blocked. But this was when the catwalk section began to swing from side to side, causing Yoda to stagger again._

_"No," Yoda said as he regained his balance, and pointed his saber at Sidious. "The future is not yours, yet"._

_Sidious clenched his teeth in frustration._

_Yoda continued speaking. "Tempted I will not be. Sacrifice all I am ready to do," Yoda said before he deactivated his lightsaber, grabbed a hold of the railing, and focused all of his efforts on saving Skywalker. Sidious took advantage of Yoda lowering his guard and fired an arc of lightning that engulfed the Jedi master in terrible pain._

_But he kept focusing Anakin, despite the pain. He eventually floated him onto the catwalk where Rex and his men were starting to regain consciousness. He lowered Anakin, before Rex and one of his men pulled Anakin to safety._

_Sidious continued to cackle and fire lightning. But that's when the catwalk shuddered beneath again, and this time it finally gave way. It fell and swung precariously over the sheer drop. Sidious and Yoda scrambled to grab a hold of something. They saved themselves and hang from the vertically hanging catwalk._

_That's when familiar boxing sounds began to go off in the distance, obtaining Yoda and Sidious' attention. More Republic flew over the works, battling the remaining Separatist droids that protected the building. Gunships flew towards the building, while infantry and tanks advanced on foot. Red laser were fired from the building and down onto the Republic forces that advanced in the distance._

_Rex and his men cheered and waved them on as a pair of gunships passed._

_Sidious growled and began to climb up the catwalk._

_But Yoda wasn't done with him yet. He climbed onto the catwalk so that his feet were on the catwalk._

_Rex and his men were firing their blasters, aiming just above Sidious, trying to slow him down so that Yoda could catch up and apprehend him._

_Then, Yoda looked up at where the catwalk was connected, before he reached for his lightsaber and activated it. He drew his sword arm back and then launched his saber like a boomerang. It spun like a propellor and flew over Sidious. It then struck where the catwalk was hanging from. The catwalk began to break free, and Sidious began to slide down the falling catwalk. Yoda let go of the catwalk and went into free fall. Sidious soon followed._

_The clones could do nothing, and just watched as both force-users began to fall to the surface._

_As they began to free fall head-first towards the surface, they met face to face and began to continue their fight. They struggled and swiped at each other, trying to subdue the other._

_Sidious was cackling the entire way down. Yoda tried to remove his hood to see who he was. But then he_ _fired another bolt of lightning at Yoda, who used his hands to absorb it. And since they were too close, the build up of energy burst, and sent both fighters in different directions._

_Yoda continued to fall, but he prepared to land. All the while, he could only think about how he failed to stop Sidious._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_The Works_.

Darth Sidious raised his head from the blue flame, which signaled to Dooku that the vision was over. He looked at his master with a stoic frown, urging his master to explain what happened.

Sidious shook his head.

"We have failed to break master Yoda. He is strong," he said before he clenched his fists in frustration, and began to walk away from the pedestal, "We will need more time, if we are to defeat him..." he said as he began to walk out of the room with Dooku in tow, "...and the Jedi."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_Jedi Temple_.

After walking up from his vision on Korriban, Yoda was contacted by a group of spirits that promised to help train him in the ways of the force, and maintain his consciousness after death, with the help of Qui-Gon Jinn.

As he sat in one of the courtyards on top of the temple, he meditated underneath one of the trees.

He heard the sounds of battle, and as he thought about what one of the spirits told him, about there being 'another Skywalker', he heard the sounds of a child crying. He wondered what it could be.

That's when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching.

They belonged to Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"The Council has assembled." Mace said. "They are... eager to hear your report."

Yoda stood up and turned to face them, his hands clasped over the top of his cane. "Afraid not much there is to say of my journey." He said, shaking his head.

Mace and obi-Wan looked at each other. Then they looked at Yoda.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms, before he started stroking his beard thoughtfully. "So nothing significant happened to you out there?"

"Yes..." he said before turning his head away, "...and no. To the end we are coming now."

"Did your journey give you insight on how to win the war?" Mace asked.

"No longer certain that one ever does win a war I am. For in fighting the battles, the bloodshed already lost we have." Yoda said.

The despair in both Jedi to go up a little.

"Yet, open to us, a path remains that unknown to the Sith is."

Hope began to rise in the two other Jedi, as Yoda spoke of a long term future, in which Good would ultimately triumph over evil. As Yoda and his companions walked back into the temple, he continued to speak.

"Through this path, victory we may yet find. Not victory in the Clone Wars but victory for all time."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last part chokes me up every time.
> 
> Well anyway folks, that's it for the first act.
> 
> The next act will focus on the conflict between Darth Maul and Sidious. Hope to see you around
> 
> Until next time as always, this is Grubkiller, over and out.

**Author's Note:**

> So that's the first story of "Rise of the Empire" series.
> 
> The next story will focus on Darth Maul making an incredible discovery. One that could change the course of the galaxy.
> 
> Hope you're excited.
> 
> This is Grubkiller, over and out.


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